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10 









THE 

MASONIC TEXT-BOOK 

OF TEXiS'ESSEE: 

CONTAINIXG 

MONITOEIAL INSTHUCTIONS 

IN THE DEGKEES OF 

Entered ipprentiee, Fellow-Craft, Master Masou and Past 31aster 

TOGETHEE WITH: THE 

CEREMONIES OF COXSECKATION AND DEDICATION OF NEW 

LODGES, INSTALLATION OF GEAND ANT) SUBORDINATE 

OFFICEES, LAYING FOUNDATION STONES, DEDICATION 

OF MASONIC HALLS, GEAND VISITATIONS, BURIAL 

SERVICES, EEGUXATIONS FOR PROCESSIONS, 

MASONIC CALENDAR, ETC., ETC. 

ALSO, 
A BRIEF DIGEST OF THE LEADING 

FORMS OF MASONIC GOGUMENTS, MASONIC TRIALS, ETC. 



COMPILED ANT) ARRAN"GED 

UNDER THE SUPERVISION OE A SPECIAL COilMITTEE. 

APPOrSTED BY TKE 

M. W. GRAND LODGE OF TENNESSEK 

FOUETH EDITION. 

NASHTILLE: 
PKINTED BY OEDEE OF ITOE GEAIsD LODGE. 

1888. 






JCatered according to Act of Congreas, in the year 1866, l>y 

CHARLES A. FXJLLER, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States foi the Middle 

District of Tennessee. 



Niv. of : ;:.: ;n. Li^: 
CjEPT -9. 1938 



TO 

or THAT DISTINGUISHED BKOTHEK AXD KIPE SCHOLAR, 

WILKIiXS TANNEHILL, 

PAST GRAND MASTER OF THE GRAND LODGE OF TENNESSEE, 

WHOSE 

PUKITY OF LIFE "WAS A DALLY EXEMPLIFICATION OF THE SUBLIME 

PKINCIPLES OF THE MASONIC INSTITUTION: 



lABOKS OF LOYE, AND OPEN-HANDED CHABITY, ENSHBINED HTM 
IN THE HEARTS OF HIS BEETHKEN: 



DEATH WAS LAMENTED AS THE LOSS OF A FATHEB, 
FKIEND AND BBOTHEE: 



MEMORY IS BEVERED BY ALL FAITHFUL LOVERS OP THE CRAFT t 

THE TRUE FRIEND, 

THE SINCERE CHRISTIAN, 

THE DEVOTED MASON, 

%\m Mxmt is gAitato 

BY THE 

M. W. GRAND LODGE OF TENNESSEE. 



PREFACE. 



The Grand Lodge of Tennessee, at its Annual Com- 
munication, in October, 1865, adopted the following 
resolution : 

" Besolved, That a Committee of five be appointed to 
superintend the publication of a revised edition of 
" Tannehill's Manual," or of a Manual founded thereon, 
into which they will incorporate the leading principles 
of Masonic Law:" 

And appointed as said Committee, Charles A. Fuller, 
P. G. M., John Frizzell, P. G. M., Thomas McCulloch, 
P. G. M., T. A. Thomas, P. D. G. M., and James McCallum, 
P. G. M. 

Ll accordance with the above, the Committee present 
the following compilation as the result of their labors, 
which, it is hoped, will meet the wants of the Fraternity 
in this Jurisdiction, for whom it is especially designed. 
It has been pre^Dared with as much care as it was pos- 
sible to bestow upon it, and while it is not presumed to 
be perfect, or fully up to the desired standard, it is 
believed that it furnishes the Craft a reliable and safe 
Text-Book, which, if carefully studied, will render im- 
portant aid in the performance of the various rites and 
ceremonies of the Order. 

Nearly all the Manuals and Text-Books from the time 
of Preston, have been consulted, and the effort has 
been made to present a work which the Masonic student 
may consult with profit, and the workman use with 
advantage. 



The Committee have found it most in accordance 
with theii' own views, to extract more largely from 
"Tannehill's Manual" than any other work, and in this 
they have, as they believe, conformed to the wishes of 
the brethren of the State.* 

Much aid has been derived, and extracts liberally 
made, from such eminent Masonic authors as Webb, 
Cross, Dove, C. W. Moore, Rockwell, Mackey, Macoy, 
SicKELs, and others. 

* The undersigned members of the Committee, desire to state, 
that immediately upon their appointment a meeting was held for 
organizing and making the necessary arrangements for carrying 
into effect the wishes of the Grand Lodge. At that meeting, Bro. 
John Feizzell, P. G. M., was requested to undertake the labor of 
revision, and preparing the contemplated work for the press. The 
solicitations of the majority of the Committee were assented to, 
and on completion of his labors, they assembled and spent several 
days in a careful examination of manuscripts, etc. It is also proper 
to state, that the toil of re- writing the book; the time necessarily 
required in consulting a large number of printed works upon the 
same subject, to make it as complete as possible; and arranging 
for the press, has been performed in hours stolen, as it were, from 
the daily routine of a laborious profession, and under circum- 
stances of peculiar inconvenience. Notwithstanding the difficulties 
encountered — the limited period allowed for preparation and ex- 
ecution, and the pressure of other engagements — the majority of 
the Committee deem it an act of justice to say, that they not only 
approve of the work herewith presented, but desire to give whatever 
credit it may be entitled to at the hands of our brethren to Bro. 
Pkizzell, to whom it justly belongs. 

Charles A. Fuller, Thomas McCulloch, 
James McCallum, T. A. Thomas. 



MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 



INTBODUCTION. 

"Freemasonry," says a learned and eminent brother, 
"is a Moral Order, instituted by virtuous men, with the 
praiseworthy design of recalling to our remembrance 
the most sublime Truths, in the midst of the most 
innocent and social pleasures, founded on Liberality, 
Brotherly Love, and Charity. 

"It is a beautiful system of morahty, vailed in 
allegory, and illustrated by symbols. Truth is its 
center — ^the point whence its radii diverge — ^pointing 
out to its disciples a correct knowledge of the Great 
Architect of the Universe, and the moral laws which he 
has ordained for their government." 

A proper administration of the various ceremonies 
connected with its ritual is of the fii'st importance, and 
worthy of our serious consideration. The rites and 
ceremonies of Freemasonry form the distinctive pecu- 
liarity of the Institution. In their nature, they are 
simple; in their end, instructive. It requires, however, 
close apphcation and untiring diligence to ascertain the 
precise nature of every ceremony which our ancient 
brethren saw reason to adopt in the formation of an 
exclusive system, which was to pass through the world 



8 INTRODUCTION. 

unconnected with the religion and politics of all times, 
and of every people among whom it should flourish 
and increase. In order to preserve our ceremonies 
from the hand of innovation, it is essentially necessarj^ 
that every officer should be thoroughly acquainted 
with them, and that a firm determination should exist 
among the Craft to admit no change. A few words 
here or there may not in themselves appear of much 
consequence, yet, by frequent allowance, we become 
habituated to them, and thus open the door to evils of 
more serious magnitude. There is, there can be, no 
safety but in a rigid adherence to the ancient ceremonies 
of the Order. 



PART I. 



SYMBOLIC MASONRY. 



OPENING AND CLOSING THE LODGE. 

In all regular assemblies of men wliicli are convened 
for wise and useful purposes, the commencement and 
conclusion of business is accompanied with, some form. 
In every country of the world the practice prevails, and 
is deemed essential. From the most remote periods of 
antiquity it is traced, and the refined improvements of 
modern times have not abolished it. 

Ceremonies, simply considered, are little more than 
visionary delusions ; but their effects are sometimes 
important. When they impress awe and reverence 
on the mind, and attract the attention to solemn rites 
by external forms, they are interesting objects. These 
purposes are effected when judicious ceremonies are 
regularly conducted and properly arranged. On this 
ground they have received the sanction of the wisest men 
in all ages, and consequently could not escape the notice 
of Masons. To begin well is the most likely means to 
end well: and it is justly remarked that when order 
and method are neglected at the beginning they will 
be seldom found to take place at the end. 

The ceremony of opening and closing the Lodge with 
solemnity and decorum is, therefore, universally adopted 
among Masons; and though the mode in some meetings 
may vary, and in every degree must vary, still an uni- 
formity in the general practice prevails in the Lodge; 
and the variation, if any, is solely occasioned by a want 
of method, which a little application will easily remove. 

To conduct this ceremony with propriety, ought to 
be the pecuhar study of all Masons, especially of those 
who have the honor to rule in our assemblies. To per- 



12 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

sons who are thus dignified every eye is dii'ected for 
regularity of conduct and behavior ; and by their 
example other brethren, less informed, may naturally 
expect to derive instruction. 

During the opening and closing ceremonies of a 
Lodge, one of the following, or some other suitable 
prayer, should invariably be offered : 

PEATERS AT OPENING. 

Most merciful God ! Supreme Architect of 
Heaven and Earth ! We beseech thee to guide 
and protect these brethren here assembled, and 
fulfill at this time that divine promise thou 
wert pleased to make to those who should be 
gathered together in thy name. Teach us to 
know and serve thee aright. Bless and pros- 
per us in all our laudable undertakings, and 
grant, God ! that our conduct may tend to 
thy glory, to the advancement of Freemasonry, 
and finally to our own salvation in that blessed 
kingdom where the righteous shall find rest. 
Amen. 

Response. So mote it be. 



Great Architect of the Universe! In thy 
name we have assembled, and in thy name we 
desire to proceed in all our doings. Grant that 
the sublime principles of Freemasonry may so 



OPENING AND CLOSING. 13 

subdue every discordant passion within us — so 
harmonize and enrich our hearts with thine 
own love and goodness — that the Lodge at this 
time may humbly reflect that order and beauty 
which reign forever before thy throne. Amen. 
Response. So mote it be. 



Almighty and Eternal Jehovah! Great Light 
of Life ! in whom we live, and move, and have 
our being ! Bless the brethren here assembled ! 
Give them one mind, and influence each one of 
them by the same zeal! Make them one in 
name and in heart. May the Master be firm, 
prudent, and discreet in the discharge of his 
duties, and as the glorious Sun gives light to 
the day, may he be enabled to enlighten the 
Lodge, and conduct all things aright ! May the 
Wardens be as pillars of Strength and Beauty! 
May the Treasurer keep that which cannt)t 
corrupt, and the Secretary record what eternal 
truth shall approve ! May the Deacons be con- 
stant as the hours, and the Tiler be as the eye 
of a kind Providence which watches unseen 
over all the works of creation; and may every 
brother practice out of the Lodge the duties 
that are inculcated in it. So shall we be built 



14 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

up a spiritual Lodge never to be shaken by the 
storms of adversity; but, cleaving to thy great 
name, Eternal Jehovah ! may we be united to 
thee in love and freedom of soul forever; and 
to thy most Holy name be praise, now, hence- 
forth and forever. Amen. 
Response, So mote it be. 



CHAKGE AT OPENING. 

The ways of virtue are beautiful: knowledge 
is attained by degrees: wisdom dwells with 
contemplation: there we must seek her. Let 
us, then, Brethren, apply ourselves with be- 
coming zeal to the practice of the excellent 
principles inculcated by our Order. Let us 
ever remember that the great objects of our 
association are the restraint of improper desires 
and passions, the cultivation of an active be- 
nevolence, and the promotion of a correct 
knowledge of the duties we owe to God, our 
neighbor, and ourselves. Let us be united, and 
practice with assiduity the sacred tenets of our 
Order. Let all private animosities, if any 
unhappily exist, give place to affection and 
brotherly love. It is a useless parade to talk 



OPENING AND CLOSING. 15 

of the subjection of irregular passions within 
the walls of the Lodge, if we permit them to 
triumph in our intercourse with each other. 
Uniting in the grand design, let us be happy 
ourselves, and endeavor to promote the happi- 
ness of others. Let us cultivate the great 
moral virtues which are laid down on our 
Masonic Trestle-Board, and improve in every- 
thing that is good, amiable, and useful. Let 
the benign Genius of the Mystic Art preside 
over our councils, and, under her sway, let us 
act with a dignity becoming the high moral 
character of our venerable Institution. 



ANOTHEE CHAEGE AT OPENING. 

** Behold how good and how pleasant it is for 
Brethren to dwell together in unity! 

"It is like the precious ointment upon the 
head, that ran down upon the beard, even 
Aaron's beard, that went down to the skirts of 
his garments: 

" As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that 
descended upon the mountains of Zion: for 
there the Lord commanded the blessing, even 
life forevermore." Ps. cxxxiii. 



16 



MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 



The following, or some other appropriate Ode, may 
be snng: 



Am. — Dundee, 



I 



i 



/CS 



g?ra 



3 



i^: 



S 



^i=^ 



=f 



With - in our tera - pie met a - srain, With 



iSS 



H 



i^ — (^ 



a 



f: 



i 



^H^ 



::^ 



i 



2^= 



hearts and pur-pose strong, We'll raise our notes of 



P^ 



H <S>-\-& &■ 



I2± 



t^ 



fe^S 



|] 



P^EfflSEtEgtS^iEg: 



grate-ful praise, With un - ion in our song. 



^i 



Ei 



11 



§■ 



Around our altar's sacred shrine 
May love's pure incense rise, 

Bearing upon its mystic flame 
Our music to the skies. 



OPENING AND CLOSING. 17 

PEAYERS AT CLOSING. 

Great and Glorious God! Ruler of Heaven 
and Earth! We are now about to separate 
and return to our respective places of abode. 
Grant that every brother may practice out of 
the Lodge the duties inculcated in it — and with 
reverence, study and obey the laws which thou 
hast given us in thy Holy Word: and grant, 
Lord ! that brotherly love may prevail, and 
every moral and social virtue cement us. Amen. 

Response. So mote it be. 



Supreme Architect of the Universe, accept 
our humble thanks for the many mercies and 
blessings which thy bounty has conferred on us, 
and especially for this friendly and social inter- 
course. Pardon, we beseech thee, whatever 
thou hast seen amiss in us since we have been 
together; and continue to us thy presence, pro- 
tection, and blessing. Make us sensible of the 
renewed obligations we are under to love thee 
supremely, and to be friendly to each other. 
May all our irregular passions be subdued, and 
may we daily increase in Faitli, Hope^ and 
Charity ; but more especially in that Qharity 



18 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

which is the bond of peace and the perfection 
of every virtue. May we so practice thy pre- 
cepts that we may finally obtain thy promises, 
and find an entrance through the gates into the 
temple and city of our God. Amen. 

Response, So mote it be. 



Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be 
thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be 
done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this 
day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, 
as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not 
into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For 
thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the 
glory, for ever. Amen. 
Response. So mote it be. 



CHARGE AT CLOSING. 

Brethren: We are now about to quit this 
sacred retreat of friendship and virtue, to mix 
again with the world. Whilst busied in its 
concerns, let us not forget that around this 
sacred altar we have repeatedly promised to 
relieve, protect and vindicate each other. Let 
us, therefore, be diligent, prudent and circum- 



OPENING AND CLOSING. 



19 



spect in our respective callings, that by liberal 
benevolence and diffusive charity we may dis- 
cover to the world the happy effects of this 
ancient and honorable Institution. 

May ye be all of one mind; live in peace; 
and may the GfoD of love and peace delight to 
dwell with and bless you. 



The following Ode may be sung at closing: 
AxR — Sicilian Eymn. 




Now our so - cial la - bors clos-ing, Homage 



^^i^rS, 



9 — 9- 



il 






of the heart we pay ; Each in con - fi - 



P 



.1^ 



i 



pi^l^gg^gpi 



dence re -pos- ing, Kindest tho'ts that ne'r decay. 



aa^ 



=T=f 



-T^ 



JdWl 



11 



520 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

Let US each in Time's commotion, 
Heav'nly light and truth implore; 

Thus we'll pass life's stormy ocean. 
Landing on a happier shore. 



CLOSING BENEDICTION. 

May the blessing of Heaven rest upon us and 
all regular Masons ! May brotherly love pre- 
vail, and every moral and social virtue cement 
us ! Amen. 

Response, So mote it be. 



ON THE ADMISSION OF CANDIDATES. 

The operative Mason in erecting his temporal build- 
ing, is careful to select proper materials; as upon this 
depends the durability of the edifice. Upon the same 
principle should speculative Masons act, in the erection 
of their Masonic edifice. 

The facility with which our doors have been opened 
to those who seek admission, is not only a subject of 
regret to many of the most zealous supporters of the 
Institution, but has occasioned reproaches fi'om those 
who are not of our number, and has, no doubt, pre- 
vented many fi'om participating in its benefits. Too 
many Lodges seem to think that numbers alone consti- 
tute the respectabihty of the society. If a man of 
indifferent character and reputation gain admission, his 
neighbor will look upon the transaction at least with 
suspicion, and probably will acquire prejudices which 



ADMISSION OF CANDIDATES. 21 

will never be effaced. Thus, particular instances of 
irregularity create disaffection to the Institution, and 
however erroneous the impression, it will be of no avail 
to explain its professed objects when at variance with 
practice. This always occasions a humiliating appli- 
cation of these words, " by their fruit shall ye know 
them." It is in vain to attempt disguising irregularities 
which too often render ineffectual the good purposes of 
the Institution. It is expected of Masons that they 
wiU live sober and moral Hves. If they do this they 
have the reward which every good man feels from the 
<}onsciousness of rectitude, the steady confidence of 
their brethren, and the hope that at the consummation 
of their works, it will be said to them, " well done, good 
and faithful servants." 

All applications for initiation must be in writing, 
signed by the applicant, and substantially in the follow- 
ing form: 

(Date.) 

To the Worshipful Master, Wardens and Brethren of 
Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons : 

The subscriber respectfully represents that, enter- 
taining a favorable opinion of your Ancient and Honor- 
able Institution, he is desirous of being admitted a 
member thereof, if found worthy. His place of residence 

is , his age years, his occupation 

he has read and approves your by-laws. 

A B . 

Recommended by 

E F . 



After this petition is read, the candidate must be 
proposed in form, by a member of the Lodge, and the 



TA MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

proposition seconded by another member; a committee 
is then appointed to make inquiry into his character 
and qualifications. 

Previous to initiation the candidate is briefly informed 
of the nature and designs of the Institution, and his 
assent is required to the following declarations : 

Do you seriously declare, upon your honor, 
that unbiassed by friends, and uninfluenced by 
mercenary motives, you freely and voluntarily 
offer yourself a candidate for the mysteries of 
Masonry ? 

Ans, I do. 

Do you seriously declare, upon your honor, 
that you are prompted to solicit the privileges 
of Masonry by a favorable opinion conceived of 
the Institution, a desire of knowledge, and a 
sincere wish to be serviceable to your fellow- 
creatures ? 

Ans, I do. 

Do you seriously declare, upon your honor, 
that you will cheerfully conform to all the 
ancient established customs and usages of the 
Fraternity ? 

Ans. 1 do. 

After the above declarations are made, reported to 
the Master, and by him made knovni to the Lodge, if 
there are then no objections, the candidate is introduced 
in due form. 



ENTERED APPRENTICE'S DEGREE. 



FmST SECTION. 

It has been truly remarked that the first step taken 
by a candidate, on entering a Lodge of Freemasons, 
teaches him the pernicious tendency of infidelity, and 
shows him that the foundation on which Masonry rests 
is the belief and acknowledgment of a Supreme Being; 
that to him, alone, he can look for protection in all the 
dangers and difficulties he may be called to encounter 
in his progTess through life ; and it assures him 
that, if his faith be well founded in that Being, he may 
confidently pursue his course, without fear and without 
danger. 

Freemasonry is a beautiful system of morality, vailed 
in allegory and illustrated by symbols. Although its 
origin is covered with darkness, and its history is, to a 
great extent, obscure, yet we can confidently assert, 
that it is the most ancient society in the world — that 
its principles are based on pure morality — ^its doctrines 
those of patriotism and brotherly love, and its senti- 
ments those of exalted benevolence. All that is good 
and kind and charitable it encourages, and all that is 
vicious and cruel and oppressive it reprobates. 



PEAYEE USED AT INITIATION. 

Vouchsafe thine aid, Almighty Father of 
the Universe, to this our present convention ; 



24 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

and grant that this candidate for Masonry may 
dedicate and devote his hfe to thy service, and 
become a true and faithful brother among us. 
Endue him with a competency of thy divine 
wisdom, that, by the secrets of this Art, he 
may be the better enabled to display the beau- 
ties of godliness, to the honor of thy holy name. 
Amen ! 

Response. So mote it be. 

The following passages of Scripture are then recited: 

I will bring the blind by a way that they 
knew not ; I will lead them in paths that they 
have not known : I will make darkness light 
before them, and crooked things straight. 
These things will I do unto them, and not for- 
sake them. — Is. xlii. 16. 

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart ; and 
lean not unto thine own understanding. 

In all \hy ways acknowledge him, and he 
shall direct thy paths. 

Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and 
thy foot shall not stumble. 

For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and 
shall keep thy foot from being taken. — Prov. 
iii. 5, 6, 23, 26. 



ENTERED APPRENTICE. 



25 



Or, the following, or some other suitable Ode, may be 
sung : 

Music — Auld Lang Syne. 



mm 



it 



tl±<=n3r=il 



-«-^ 



Be -hold ! how pleasant aud how good, For 






M—[ 



^—^- 



I 



1^- 



.^\ 



i£E^S 



:«zi#izi: 



breth-ren such as we, Of the Accept - ed 



-# — *- 



^ 



-^ —\i^-^- 



I 



&^t 



m 



-iV" 



± 



-0-i- 



broth - ei-hood, To dwell in u - ni - ty! 



ifcnt 



±1 



^MZ^^MZ 



-J?-fc-5 — y-T— !^— ^ — ^r -- N — ^i — ^- 


-^-r 


'Tis like the oil on Aa - ron's head, 


Which 







MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 




to his feet dis- tills; Like Hermon's dew 



:Ei 



\— #-'-#- 



-g— ^ 



IZ^lfc 



i 



ifcnVi 



feiiS: 



mm^A 



rich - ly shed On Zi - on's sa - cred hills ! 



\i=d5: 



^: 



^ 



•-iT- 



For there the Lord of light and love 

A blessing sent with power; 
Oh, may we all this blessing prove, 

E'en life for evermore ! 
On friendship's altar, rising here. 

Our hands now plighted be. 
To live in love, with hearts sincere, 

In peace and unity. 

It is the duty of the Master of the Lodge, as one of 
the precautionary measures of initiation, to explain to 
the candidate the nature and design of the Institution. 
And while he informs him that it is founded on the 
purest principles of virtue, that it possesses great and in- 
valuable privileges, and that, in order to secure those 
privileges to worthy men, and worthy men alone, 
voluntary pledges of fidelity are require d — he wiU at 



ENTERED APPRENTICE. 



27 



the same time assure him, that nothing will be expected 
of him incompatible with his civil, moral or religious 
duties. 




In "the beginning God created tiie heaven 
and the earth. 

And the earth was without form, and void ; 
and darkness was upon the face of the deep : 
and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of 
the waters. 

And God said, let there be hght : and there 
was hght. — Gen. i. 1, .2, 3. 




The three ***** ****** ^^^ ^j^^ 
Holy Bible, Square and Compasses. 



28 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

The Holy Bible is given us as the rule and 
guide of our faith and j^ractice ; the Square, to 
square our actions, and the Compasses to cir- 
cumscribe our desires, and keep our passions 
in due bounds with all mankind, especially with 
the brethren. 

The three ****** ****** ^^.^ ^^ 
Sun, Moon and Master. 

THE LAMBSKIN 

Is the emblem of innocence, and is esteemed the 
peculiar badge of a Mason. When 
worthily worn, it is more honorable 
than the Star and Garter, the Golden 
Fleece, or Roman Eagle, or any other order 
that could be conferred, and which every 
Mason ought to wear with equal pleasure to 
himself and honor to the Fraternity. 




WOEKING TOOLS OF AN ENTERED APPEENTICE. 

THE TWENTY-FOUR INCH GUAGE 

Is an instrument made use of by operative 
Masons, to measure and lay out their work. 
But we, as Free and Accepted Masons, are taught 
to make use of it for the more noble and 
glorious purpose of dividing our time. It 



ENTERED APPRENTICE. 



29 




being divided into twenty-four equal parts, is 
emblematical of the twenty-four hours of the 
day; which we are taught to divide into three 
parts, whereby we find a part for the service 
of GrOD and a distressed worthy Brother ; a 
part for our usual avocations ; and a part for 
refreshment and sleep. 

THE COMMON GAVEL 

Is an instrument made use of by operative 
Masons to break off the rough and superfluous 
parts of stones, the better to fit them for the 
builder's use ; but we, as Free and Accepted 
Masons, are taught to make use of it for the 
more noble and glorious purpose of divesting 
our minds and consciences of the vices and 
superfluities of life, thereby fitting us as living 
stones, for that spiritual building, that house 
not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens. 



30 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 




In the course of this section is exhibited a beautiful 
and impressive illustration of one of the grand prin- 
ciples of the Institution, and concludes with a moral 
application. 

The newly-initiated brother is then conducted to his 
proper station, *=f=******* where he receives his 
first lesson in moral architecture, teaching him ever to 
walk uprightly before God and man. 



SECOND SECTION. 

This section is altogether explanatory of the preceding. 
It beautifully and comprehensively illustrates the cere- 
monies of initiation; and while it gratifies, it cannot fail 
to impress the mind of the intelligent and right-hearted 
candidate with a high sense of the great moral excel- 
lences of the degree through which he is passing. 

Various passages of Scripture are referred to in this 
section: 

And we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as 
Diucli as thou shalt need: and we will bring it 
to thee in floats by sea to Joppa; and thou shalt 
carry it up to Jerusalem. — 2 Chron. ii. 16. 

And the house, wheii it was in building, 



ENTERED APPRENTICE. 31 

was built of stone made ready before it was 
brought thither: so that there was neither ham- 
mer nor axe, nor any tool of iron, heard in the 
house while it was in building. — 1 Kings vi. 7. 
****** 
Now this was the manner in former time in 
Israel concerning redeeming and concerning 
changing, for to confirm all things; a man 
plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbor: 
and this was a testimony in Israel. — Ruth iv. 7. 



I I 
e # 

Ask, and it shall be given you; Seek, and 

ye shall find; Knock, and it shall be opened unto 

you. — Matt. vii. 7. 

* * * * * * 

In the ancient initiations the candidate was never 
permitted to enter on the threshold of the temple in 
which the ceremonies were to be conducted, until, by 
the most solemn warning, he had been impressed with 
the necessity of Caution, Secrecy and Fortitude. 



A BELIEF IN GOD. 

This constitutes the creed of a Mason — ai 
least the only creed that he is required to pro- 



32 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

fess. But such a profession is essentially and 
absolutely necessary, because, without a belief 
in a superintending Power, with the inevitable 
deduction from the purity and holiness of such 
a Being, that sin will be punished and virtue 
rewarded, there would be no sanction to a moral 
law, and the atheist would have no motive to 
keep a promise or to preserve an obhgation. 
****** 

THE LEFT SIDE. 

The left side has always, apparently for a well- 
known physical reason, been deemed inferior to 
the right. The right side is the side of honor. 
"To sit on the right side of the King" was a 
mark of great favor. 

****** 

THE RIGHT HAND. 

The right hand has, in all ages, been deemed 
an emblem of fidelity, and the ancients wor- 
shiped Deity under the name of Fides, or Fidelity, 
which was sometimes represented by two right 
hands joined, and sometimes by two human 
figures, holding each other by the right hand. 
****** 

THE BADGE OF A MASON. 

The Lamb has in all ages been deemed an 



ENTEKED APPKENTICE. 33 

emblem of innocence; he, therefore, who wears 
the Lambskin as a badge of Masonry is con- 
tinually reminded of that purity of life and 
conduct which is essentially necessary to gaining 
admission into the celestial Lodge above, where 
the Supreme Architect of the Universe presides. 

THE LESSON OF CHARITY. 

The virtue of Charity is among the first 
lessons we are taught when we pass the 
threshold of the mystic temple. 

THE FIRST INSTRUCTIONS. 

The candidate receives instructions whereon to erect 
his future moral and Masonic edifice, because on the 
night of his initiation he commences the great task, 
which is never in his future Masonic life to be discon- 
tinued, of erecting in his heart a spiritual temple for 
the in-dwelling of God, of which the great material 
Temple at Jerusalem was but the symbol; and as each 
new duty which he learns, and each new virtue that he 
practices, becomes a living stone in that temple, it is 
proper that, respecting the whole system of symbolism, 
he should begin the labor of erecting a spiritual temple 
just as the operative Mason commences the construction 
of his material temple, by first laying the corner-stone 
on which the future edifice is to arise. His first in- 
structions constitute that corner-stone, and on it, when 
laid in its proper place, he constructs the moral and 
Masonic temple of his hfe. 



34 



MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 



THIRD SECTION. 

The third section is not less important than the pre- 
ceding; it explains the nature and principles of our 
Constitution, and teaches the Entered Apprentice to 
discharge with propriety the duties that devolve upon 
him as a man and a Mason; for he should never forget 
that the duties required of him as a Mason are in no 
way incompatible with those of a good citizen. In both 
the true Mason is strengthened in aU his public and 
private obligations. 




In this section the Entered Apprentice is instructed 
in whatever relates to the Form, Supports,^ Covering, 
Furniture, Ornaments, Lights and Jewels of a Lodge, 
with its Situation and Dedication. 





A Lodge is an assemblage of Masons, duly 
congregated, having the Holy Bible, Square 
and Compasses, and a Charter or Warrant 
authorizing? them to work. 



ENTERED APPRENTICE. 



35 




Mountains and other high places were ahnost 
always considered as holy, and peculiarly ap- 
propriate for religious purposes, and we have 
abundant evidences in Scripture that the Jews 
were accustomed to worship on the tops of the 
highest hills, as it was beheved that sacrifices 
offered from these elevated places were most 
acceptable to the Deity. Hutchinson says that 
"the highest hills and the lowest valleys were. 



36 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

from the earliest times, esteemed sacred, and it 
was supposed that the Spirit of God was pecu- 
liarly diffusive in those places." It is not 
improbable that our ancient brethren, before 
they had more convenient places of meetmg, 
held their Lodges on hills, or in valleys, or in 
retired groves. 



NORTH. 



m 




SOUTH. 



The form of a Lodge is familiar to every 
Mason; and its dimensions are, symbolically, 
said to be unlimited; they extend in length, 
from East to West; in breadth, from North to 
South; in height, from the earth to the highest 
heavens; in depth, from the surface to the 
center; they are symbolical of the Universe, 
which is illimitable on every side, and is the 
proper temple of the Deity whom we serve, 
whose canopy is the heavens, and whose foot- 



ENTEKED APPRENTICE. 37 

stool is the earth. The unhmited dimensions 
of a Lodge may also be said to denote the 
universahty of the Order, which embraces men 
of every country. 




The Masonic Institution is metaphorically 
said to be supported by three great pillars of 
Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty, because it is 
necessary there should be Wisdom to contrive, 
Strength to support, and Beauty to adorn all 
great and important undertakings. An Insti- 
tution thus supported is impregnable from 
without, and its foundations can only be shaken 
when discord reigns within. 

The covering of a Lodge is the canopy of 
Heaven, where all good Masons hope at last to 
arrive, by the aid of that Theological ladder 
which Jacob, in his vision, saw reaching from 
earth to Heaven; the three principal rounds 



38 



MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 



of which are denominated Faith, Hope, and 
Charity; and which admonish us to have Faith 
in God, Hope in immortahty, and Charity to 
all mankind. The greatest of these is Charity; 
for our Faith may be lost in sight, Hope ends 
in fruition, but Charity extends beyond the 
grave into the boundless realms of eternity. 





A 



The furniture of a Lodge consists of the 
Holy Bible, Square, and Compasses. 

The Bihle points out the path which leads to 
happmess, and is dedicated to God, because it 
is the inestimable g^ft of God to man, * * * 



BNTEBED APPKENTICE. 39 

The Square teaches us to regulate our con- 
duct by the principles of morality and virtue, 
and is dedicated to the Master, because, being 
the proper Masonic emblem of his office, it is 
constantly to remind him of the duty he owes 
to the Lodge over which he is appointed to 
preside. 

The Compasses teach us to limit our desires, 
in every station, and are dedicated to the Craft, 
because, by a due attention to their use, they 
are taught to circumscribe their desires, and 
keep their passions within due bounds. 



The Ornaments of a Lodge are the Mosaic 
Pavement, the Indented Tessel and the Blazing 
Star. 



40 



MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 



The Mosaic Pavement is a representation of 
the ground-floor of King Solomon's Temple; the 
Indented Tessel, of that beautiful tesselated bor- 
der which surrounded it. 

The Mosaic Pavement is emblematical of human 
life, checkered with good and evil, and reminds 
us of the precariousness of our state on earth; 
to-day our feet tread in prosperity, to-morrow 
we totter on the uneven paths of weakness, 
temptation and adversity. The Tesselated Bor- 
der is emblematical of those blessings which we 
hope to attain by a faithful reliance on Divine 
Providence, which is hieroglyphically represent- 
ed by the Blazing Star in the center. 



A Lodge has three Symbolic Lights. 



ENTERED APPRENTICE. 



41 



The Immovable Jewels are the Square, 
Level, and Plumb, and are so called because 
they are worn by the three stationed officers. 



ii|lTI'l'ri'l'l'l'l't'!'l'l'p'l'ITl''yi 




These Jewels teach us to regulate our actions 
by the plumb-line of truth; to level our pride 
with the plane in which God has designed us 
to move, and to square our conduct by the 
precepts of Holy Writ, and the dictates of 
enlightened reason. By them, when united, we 
are reminded of the natural equality of the 
human family, at the same time we are admon- 
ished neither to despise the humble, or look 
with envy upon the great. They teach us also, 
that as Masons we meet on that decorated car- 
pet which recognizes no distinction of blood or 
fortune, and spurns no footstep but that of 
immorality and crime. " Judgment I will lay 
to the line, and righteousness to the plummet, 
saith the Lord."' 



42 



MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 




The Movable Jewels are the Rough Ashlar, 
the Perfect Ashlar, and the Trestle-Board. 

The Rough Ashlar is a stone taken from the 
quarry in its rude and natural state. The Per- 
fect Ashlar is a stone made ready by the hands 
of the workmen to be adjusted by the tools of 
the Fellow-Craft. The Trestle-Board is for the 
master workman to draw his designs upon. 

By the Rough Ashlar we are reminded of our 
rude and imperfect state by nature; by the 
Perfect Ashlar, of that state of perfection at 
which we hope to arrive by a virtuous educa- 
tion, our own endeavors and the blessing of 
God; by the Trestle-Board, that as the operative 
Mason erects his temporal building, by the rules 
and designs laid down by the Master on his 
Trestle-Board, so should we both operative 
and speculative, endeavor to erect our spiritual 



ENTERED APPRENTICE. 



43 



building in accordance with the designs laid 
down by the Supreme Architect of the Universe, 
in the Great Book of Nature and Revelation, 
which is our spiritual, moral and Masonic 
Trestle-Board.* 




■A Lodge is situated due East and West, which is here 
explained. 

Our ancient brethren dedicated their Lodges 
to King Solomon ; but since the introduction of 
Christianity, they are dedicated to the memory 
of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evan- 
gelist in all Christian countries. 

* Such is the generally ackno'wledged division of the jewels in 
the Lodges in this country; but in the English Lodges the reverse 
is the case. There the Rough and Perfect Ashlars and the Trestle- 
Board are the immovable jewels, and the Square, Level, and Plumb 
are the movable, because they descend from one set of oflficers to 
theu- successors. 



u 



MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 




Since their time there is represented in every 
well-furnished Lodge a certain Point within a 
Circle, the point representing an individual 
brother, the circle the boundary line of his duty 
to GloD and man, beyond which he is never to 
suffer his passions, interest or prejudices to 
betray him on any occasion. 

The two parallel lines represent St. John the 
Baptist and St. John the EvangeUst, and on 



ENTEEED APPRENTICE. 45 

the top rests the Holy Scriptures. In going 
around this circle, we necessarily touch upon 
these two lines as well as the Holy Scriptures, 
and while a Mason keeps himself circumscribed 
within their precepts, it is impossible he should 
materially err. 

The three great tenets of a Mason's profes- 
sion are Brotherly Loye, Relief and Truth, 
which are thus described : 

BROTHERLY LOYE. 

By the exercise of Brotherly Love we are 
taught to regard the whole human 
species as one family ; the high 
and low, the rich and poor ; who, 
as created by one Almighty Parent, 
and inhabitants of the same 
planet, are to aid, support and protect each 
other. On this principle. Masonry unites men 
of BYery country, sect and opinion, and con- 
ciliates true friendship among those who might 
otherwise have remained at a perpetual 
distance. 

RELIEF. 

To relieYe the distressed is a duty incumbent 
on all men, but particularly on Masons, who 





46 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

are linked together by an indissoluble chain of 
sincere affection. To soothe the 
unhappy ; to sympathize with their 
misfortunes ; to compassionate their 
miseries, and to restore peace 
to their troubled minds, is the great aim we 
have in view. On this basis we form our 
friendships and establish our connections. 

TRUTH. 

Truth is a divine attribute, and the founda- 
tion of every virtue. To be good 
1^5^^^ and true, is the first lesson we are 
taught in Masonry. On this theme 
we contemplate, and by its dictates 
endeavor to regulate our conduct. Hence, 
while influenced by this principle, hypocrisy 
and deceit are unknown among us ; sincerity 
and plain dealing distinguish us ; and the heart 
and the tongue join in promoting each other^s 
welfare, and rejoicing in each other's pros- 
perity. 

Every Mason has four * * * * which are 
illustrated by the four cardinal virtues, Forti- 
tude, Prudence, Temperance, and Justice. 





ENTERED APPRENTICE. 47 

FORTITUDE. 

FORTITUDE is that noble and steady 
purpose of the mmd, whereby we are 
enabled to undergo any pain, peril or 
danger, when prudentially deemed 
expedient. This virtue is equally 
distant from rashness or cowardice, and should 
be deeply impressed upon the mind of every 
Mason, as a safeguard against every illegal 
attack that may be made, by force or otherwise, 
to extort from him any of those valuable 
secrets with which he has been so solemnly 
entrusted, and which was emblematically repre- 
sented upon his first admission into the Lodge, 
and * * * * . 

PRUDENCE. 

jRUDEJS^CE teaches us to regulate 
our lives and actions agreeably to 
the dictates of reason, and is that 
habit by which we wisely judge, and 
prudently determine, on all things relative 
to our present as well as to our future happi- 
ness. This virtue should be the peculiar 
characteristic of every Mason, not only for the 
government of his conduct while in the Lodge, 
but also when abroad iix the world. It should 





48 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

be particularly attended to, in all strange and 
mixed companies, never to let fall the least 
sign, token, or word, whereby the secrets of 
Masonry might be unlawfully obtained, and 

H: Hs jH ♦ 

TEMPERANCE. 

'TEMPERANCE is that due restraint 
upon our affections and passions, 
which renders the body tame and 
o^^^^^^^^^' ^^^ frees the mind from 
l.o'S^f^ the allurements of vice. This virtue 
should be the constant practice of every Mason ; 
as he is thereby taught to avoid excess, or con- 
tracting any hcentious or vicious habit, the 
indulgence of which might lead him to disclose 
some of those valuable secrets, which he has 
promised to conceal and never reveal, and 
which would consequently subject him to the 
contempt and detestation of all good Masons, 
and * * * * . 

JUSTICE. 

JUSTICE is that standard, or bound- 
ary of right, which enables us to 
render to every man his just due, 
without distinction. This virtue is 
not only consistent with divine and 




ENTERED APPRENTICE. 49 

human laws, but is the very cement and support 
of civil society ; and as justice, in a great 
measure, constitutes the really good man, so 
should it be the invariable practice of every 
Mason never to deviate from the minutest prin- 
ciples thereof, and * * * * . 

As au encouragement and example to the candidate, 
he is reminded that our Ancient Brethren served their 
masters ^iih. freedom, fervency Midi zeal — which quahtiea 
are s^rmbolically illustrated — and the lecture closes 
with an appropriate reflection on the certaintj^ of death. 



CHAEGE AT INITIATION INTO THE FIRST 
DEGREE. 

Brother : As you have now been introduced 
into the first degree of Masonry, I congratulate 
you on being received into this ancient and 
honorable Order ; ancient, as it has existed 
from time immemorial ; and honorable, as 
tending to render all men so who will observe 
its rules, be governed by its principles, and act 
in conformity with its precepts, l^o institution 
was ever established on nobler principles, nor 
were ever more excellent rules and maxims 
laid down, than are inctilcated in the several 
Masonic Lectures. They are all derived from. 
3 



50 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

that sacred volume which you have been 
instructed to regard as the inestimable gift of 
God to man, and as the rule and guide of your 
faith and practice. 

At this stage of your profession, there are 
three great duties you are charged to perform 
— duties which you owe to God, your neighbor 
and yourself. To God, in never mentioning 
his name but with that reverence which is due 
from the creature to the creator ; to implore 
his aid in all your laudable undertakings, and 
to esteem him as the source from whence all 
earthly blessings flow. To your neighbor, by 
doing unto him what, under similar circum- 
stances, you would have him do unto you. 
Man is a social being ; he was not designed to 
pass his life in solitude with all his thoughts 
concentrated upon himself ; hence, in their 
social capacity, men should endeavor, by kind 
and friendly acts to promote the happiness of 
each other. To yourself, in avoiding all irregu- 
larity of conduct which may impair your facul- 
ties, or debase the dignity of your profession ; 
more especially are you to avoid all intempe- 
rance and excess. 

In the State you are to be true to your gov- 



ENTEBED APPBENTIOE. 51 

ernment, and just to your country. You are 
not to countenance any act which may disturb 
the peace of the country in which you may 
reside, but pay due obedience to the laws. 

In your outward demeanor, be careful to 
avoid censure and reproach. Let not interest, 
favor or prejudice, influence you to be guilty of 
a dishonorable action. Remember, that the 
credit of the Institution into which you are now 
admitted depends upon the conduct of indi- 
vidual members. The world will *' judge the 
tree by its fruit." The Lodge may inculcate 
the virtues of Temperance, Charity, Friendship 
and Brotherly Love, but if they are disregarded 
in private life, the world will be justified in the 
conclusion that Masonry has but little or no 
influence upon the conduct of its members. Let 
me urge upon you then, my friend and brother, 
to cultivate the moral virtues, and practice the 
duties we have this evening endeavored to im- 
press upon you. At your leisure hours, learn 
to improve in Masonic knowledge by study of 
the book of constitutions, and of conversations 
with well-informed brethren. 

Although your frequent attendance upon the 
meetings of the Lodge is desired, yet it is not 



52 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

meant that Masonry should interfere with your 
necessary vocations; these are on no account to 
be neglected. Finally, my brother, keep sacred 
and inviolate the mysteries of the Order which 
have been committed to your charge. The 
transactions of the Lodge you are not to com- 
municate to any but such as are rightfully 
entitled to their knowledge. Indiscreet con- 
versations on such subjects have occasioned 
disorders which have been difficult to correct. 
Admitted to the first degree, we hail you as a 
brother of our ancient and honorable Order, in 
the confident expectation that you will not sully 
the purity of that emblem which has been 
presented to you as the appropriate badge of a 
Mason. 



The following charge may be used as circumstances 
may require : 

AT THE INITIATION OF A CLERGYMAN. 

You, brother, are a minister of that holy 
religion which inculcates ''peace on earth and 
good will to men;" which teaches universal 
bene i^olence and unbounded charity, and which 
points out the path that leads to eternal hap- 
piness in a world beyond the grave. You 



ENTERED APPRENTICE. 53 

cannot, therefore, but view the Order in a 
favorable Hght, and be zealous for the interests 
of Freemasonry, which, in the strongest manner, 
inculcates the same charity and benevolence, 
the same faith in Grod, and the same hope in 
immortahty; and which, like the benign spirit 
of religion, encourages and enforces every moral 
and social virtue; which introduces peace and 
good will amongst men, and is the center of 
union to those who might otherwise have re- 
mained at a perpetual distance. Whoever is 
warmed by the spirit of Christianity must 
venerate the mystic Order, for Christians derive 
the tenets of their profession, the principles of 
their faith, from the Holy Bible ; from the same 
source do Freemasons derive those tenets and 
principles which are the pillars of their Order. 
The principles of Freemasons, however they 
may be perverted and abused by licentious and 
unprincipled members of the Fraternity, are so 
closely connected, so intimately interwoven 
with the great moral doctrines of Christianity, 
that they cannot be separated. 

Such is the nature of our Institution, that in 
our Lodges union is cemented by affection, and 
pleasure is reciprocally communicated by a 



64 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

cheerful observance of every obliging office. 
Virtue, the grand object in view, luminous as 
the meridian sun, shines refulgent on the mind; 
enHvens the heart, and converts cool approbation 
into warm sympathy and cordial affection. 

Though every man, who carefully hstens to 
the dictates of reason, may arrive at a clear 
persuasion of the beauty and necessity of virtue, 
both public and private, yet it is a full recom- 
mendation of a society to have these pursuits 
continually in view, as the principal objects of 
their association; and these are the laudable 
bonds which encircle us in one indissoluble 
Fraternity. 



FELLOW-CRAFT'S DEGREE. 



If the object of the first degree be to symbolize the 
struggles of a candidate groping in darkness for intel- 
lectual light, that of the second degree represents the 
same candidate laboring amid all the difficulties that 
encumber the young beginner in the attainment of 
learning and science. The Entered Apprentice is to 
emerge from darkness to light — the Fellow-Craft is to 
come out of ignorance into knowledge. This degree, 
therefore, by fitting emblems, is intended to typify 
these struggles of the ardent mind for the attainment 
of truth — moral and intellectual truth — and above all, 
that Divine truth, the comprehension of which sur- 
passeth human understanding, and to which, standing 
in the middle chamber, after his laborious ascent of the 
winding stairs, he can only approximate by the reception 
of an imperfect and yet glorious reward, in the revelation 
of that " hieroglyphic Hght which none but Craftsmen 
ever saw." 

FIEST SECTION. 

The first section of the second degree accurately 
elucidates the mode of introduction into that particular 
class, and instructs the diligent Craftsman how to 
proceed in the proper arrangement of the ceremonies 
used on the occasion. It qualifies him to judge of their 
importance, and convinces him of the necessity of 
strictly adhering to every established usage of the 
Order. Here he is entrusted with particular tests, to 



56 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

enable him to prove his title to the privileges of this 
degree, while satisfactory reasons are given for their 
origin. Many duties, which cement in the fii'mest 
union well-informed brethren, are illustrated in this 
section; and an opportunity is given to make such 
advances in Masonry as will always distinguish the 
abilities of those who have arrived at preferment. 



X 




The Square is an important emblem in this degree. 
The Fellow-Craft is instructed, on his entrance, that 
this symbol should be the rule and guide of his conduct 
with all mankind, but especially with a brother Mason. 

The following passage of Scripture is rehearsed in 
this degree: 

Though I speak with the tongues of men and 
of angels, and have not charity, I am become 
as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. 

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and 
understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; 
and though I have all faith, so that I could 
remove mountains, and have not charity, I am 
nothing. 

And though I bestow all my goods to feed 
the poor, and though I give my body to be 
burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me 
nothing. 



FELLOW-CRAFT. 57 

Charity suffereth long and is kind; charity 
envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not 
puffed up, 

Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not 
her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 

Hejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the 
truth; 

Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth 
all things, endure th all things. 

Charity never faileth; but whether there be 
prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be 
tongues, they shall cease; whether there be 
knowledge, it shall vanish away. 

For we know in part, and we prophesy in 
part. But when that which is perfect is come, 
then that which is in part shall be done away. 

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I 
understood as a child, I thought as a child ; but 
when I became a man, I put away childish 
things. 

For now we see through a glass, darkly, but 
then face to face; now I know in part; but then 
shall I know, even as also I am known. 

And now abideth Faith, Hope, Charity, these 
three; but the greatest of these is Charity. — 1 
Cor. xiii. 

3* 



58 



MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 



Or the following, or some other suitable Ode, may be 
sung : 

Atb — What Fairy-like Music. 



^ 



il 



—JK » T 



-^ — #- 



^i:=^=:«i 



Come, Craftsmen, as - sein - bled, our 






i 



ri-Tifi 






fl^-JHf #- 






^ 



3^-zn 



It 



-^ — ^ 



5H-»^r 



E^ 



pleas-ure t<^ share, Who work by the 



K^0=:*^3 



i 






iizi 



i 



H-«i « — h- 



Z3tJ. 



^: 



T&i 



*-^#- 



*-T-^^ 



Plumb, and re - mem - ber the Square ; 



IC 



-^ — t=:zMr=MZ 



i 



:^: 



gV^ ^ -gzr 



± 



While trav . 'ling, in love, on the 



s?^ 



-0 o p- 



l^i 



FELLOW-CRAFT. 



59 




s 



«33f 



^=f^ 



§5t 



Lev - el of time, Sweet hope shall light 



qt=E 



^^ 



S 



i 



-n- 



•ztt 



^^' 



l§^ 



far bet - ter clime. 



i 



iSjfc 



We'll seek, in our labors, the Spirit Divine, 
Our Temple to bless, and our hearts to refine ; 
And thus to our altar a tribute we'll bring, 
While, joined in true friendship, our anthem we sing. 

See Order and Beauty rise gently to view. 
Each Brother a column, so perfect and true ! 
When Order shall cease, and when temples decay. 
May eacb fairer columns immortal survey. 



gfAMOslf 


[[j/nJi 


||Kii 


sifinijin* 


iiiiiiin -"==:!= Jli 


||iiiiii!lii 


l"""^!^ 


Hljiiin Hiiiliiii 1 


i|iil!iini 


■TNaM 


^^^gjHlMiHlJ 


llllHlilli 


^^J^ 


^l#^fiiliji|i|| 


EiOilllil^ 


Si 


IIBI 



60 



MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 




The Working Tools of a FeUow-Craft are the 
Plumb, the Square, and the Level. 



A 




The Plwnh is an instrument made use of by 
Operative Masons, to try perpendiculars ; the 
Square, to square their work, and the Level to 
prove horizontals ; but we, as Free and Accepted 
Masons, are taught to make use of them for 
more noble and glorious purposes ; the Plumb 
admonishes us to walk uprightly in our several 
stations before God and man, squaring our 
actions by the Square of Virtue, and ever 
remembering that we are traveling upon the 
Level of time, to '*that undiscovered country, 
from whose bourne no traveler returns." 



FELLOW-CRAFT. 61 



* 



In this section is explained tlie Jewels of a Fellow- 
Craft Mason, which are the Attentive Eak, the In- 
structive Tongue, and the Faithful Breast. 



SECOND SECTION. 

The second Section of this degree has reference to 
the origin of the Institution, and views Masonry under 
two denominations — Operative and Speculative. These 
are separately considered, and the principles on which 
both are founded, particularly explained. Their af&nity 
is pointed out by allegorical figures and typical repre- 
sentations. The period stipulated for rewarding merit 
is fixed, and the inimitable moral to which that circum- 
stance alludes is explained; the creation of the world is 
described, and many other particulars recited, all of 
which have been carefully preserved among Masons, 
and transmitted from one age to another by oral 
tradition. 

Circumstances of great importance to the Fraternity 
are here particularized, and many traditional tenets 
and customs confirmed by sacred and profane record. 
The Celestial and Terrestrial Globes are considered 
with a minute accuracy; and here the accomplished 
Craftsman may display his talents to advantage in the 
elucidation of the Orders of Architecture, the Senses of 
human nature, and the liberal Arts and Sciences, which 
are severally classed in a regular arrangement. In short, 
this section contains a store of valuable knowledge, 
founded on reason and sacred record, both entertaining 
and instructive. 



62 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

OPERATIVE MASONRY. 

We work in Speculative Masonry, but our 
Ancient Brethren wrought in both Operative 
and Speculative. They worked at the building 
of King Solomon's temple, and many other 
sacred and Masonic edifices. 

By Operative Masonry we allude to a proper 
application of the useful rules of Architecture, 
whence a structure will derive figure, strength 
and beauty, and whence will result a due pro- 
portion and a just correspondence in all its 
parts. It furnishes us with dwellings and con- 
venient shelters from the vicissitudes and in- 
clemencies of seasons ; and while it displays the 
effects of human wisdom, as well in the choice 
as in the arrangement of the sundry materials 
of which an edifice is composed, it demonstrates 
that a fund of science and industry is implanted 
in man, for the best, most salutary and benefi- 
cent purposes. 

SPECULATIVE MASONRY. 

By Speculative Masonry, we learn to subdue 
the passions, act upon the square, keep a tongue 
of good report, maintain secresy and practice 
charity. It is so far interwoven with religion. 



FELLOW-CEAFT. 63 

as to lay us under obligations to pay that 

rational homage to the Deity, which at once 

constitutes our duty and our happiness. It 

leads the contemplative to view, with reverence 

and admiration, the glorious works of creation, 

and inspires him with the most exalted ideas of 

the perfection of his Divine Creator. 

This section also refers to the origin of the Jewish 
Sabbath, as well as to the manner in which it was kept 
by our ancient brethren. 

In six days God created the heaven and the 
earth, and rested upon the seventh day ; the 
seventh, therefore, our Ancient Brethren con- 
secrated as a day of rest from their labors, 
thereby enjoying frequent opportunities to con- 
template the glorious works of the creation, 
and to adore their great Creator. 



THE PILLARS OF THE PORCH. 

The Pillars erected in the porch of the Temple 
were not only ornamented with net work, lily 
work, and pomegranates, but the import of 
their names was emblematical, and they were 
regarded as a striking memento of the promise 
of God, that he would establish the throne oi 
David and advance the glory of Israel. 



64 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 




He cast two pillars of brass, eighteen cubits 
high apiece ; and a line of twelve cubits did 
compass either of them about. 

And he made two chapiters of molten brass, 
to set upon the tops of the pillars ; the height 
of one chapiter was five cubits, and the height 
of the other chapiter was five cubits ; and nets 
of checker work, and wreaths of chain work, 
for the chapiters which were on the top of the 
pillars, seven for the one chapiter, and seven 
for the other chapiter. And he made the pillars, 
and two rows round about upon the one net 
work to cover the chapiters that were upon the 



FEIJLOW-CRAFT. 60 

top, with pomegranates, and so he did for the 
other chapiter. And the chapiters that were 
upon the top of the pillars were of lily work in 
the porch, four cubits. And the chapiters upon 
the two pillars had pomegranates also above, 
and the pomegranates were two hundred in 
rows, round about upon the other chapiter. — 1 
Kings vii. 15-20. 

The symbols of Unity, Peace and Plenty are intro- 
duced, and their moral application explained. 





OF THE GLOBES. 

The Griobes are two artificial spherical bodies, 
on the convex surface of which are represented 
the countries, seas, and various parts of the 
earth, the face of the heavens, the planetary 
revolutions, and other important particulars. 

THE USE OF THE GLOBES. 

Their principal use, besides serving as maps 
to distinguish the outward parts of the earth, 
and the situation of the fixed stars, is to illus- 



66 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

trate and explain the phenomena arising from 
the annual revolution, and the diurnal rotation 
of the earth round its own axis. They are 
invaluable instruments for improving the mind, 
and giving it the most distinct idea of any- 
problem or proposition, as well as enabling it 
to solve the same. Contemplating these bodies, 
we are inspired with a due reverence for the 
Deity and his works, and are induced to 
encourage the studies of astronomy, geography, 
navigation, and the arts dependent on them, by 
which society has been so much benefited. 

THE WINDING STAIRS. 

The door for the middle chamber was in the right 
side of the house ; and they went up with winding stairs 
into the middle chamber. — 1 Kings, vi. 8. 

The Symbolical Stairway, which leads from the 
ground-floor to the middle chamber of our mystic 
house, consists of fifteen steps and three divisions. The 
divisions, we perceive, differ in the number of their 
steps, each having an odd number — "three, five and 
seven." While there is no positive evidence that these 
divisions have any particular reference to Ancient Craft 
Masonry, yet the lessons taught us, as we ascend, should 
impress upon the mind of every Freemason the importance 
of discipline, as well as a knowledge of natural, mathe- 
matical and metaphysical science. It also opens to him 
an extensive range of moral and speculative inquiry, 
which may prove a source of peculiar gratification. 



FELLOW-CRAFT. 



67 




Reference is liere made to the Masonic organization 
into three degrees — the Entered Apprentice, the Fellow- 
Craft, and the Master Mason ; and to its system of 
government by three officers — the Worshipful Master, 
the Senior Warden, and the Junior Warden. 

The Ordees of Aechitectuee are next considered and 
explained. 

OF ORDER IN ARCHITECTURE. 

By Order in Architecture is meant a system 
of all the members, proportions and ornaments 
of columns and pilasters ; or, it is a regular 
arrangement of the projecting parts of a build- 
ing, which, united with those of a column, form 
a beautiful, perfect and complete whole. 



68 



MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 



OF ITS ANTIQUITY. 

From the first formation of society, Order in 
Architecture may be traced. When the rigor 
of seasons obhged men to contrive shelter from 
the inclemency of the weather, we learn that 
they first planted trees on end, and then laid 
others across to support a covering. The bands 
which connected those trees at top and bottom, 
are said to have given rise to the idea of the 
base and capital of pillars ; and, from this 
simple hint, originally proceeded the more 
improved art of Architecture. 

The five Orders are thus classed: the Tuscan, 
Doric, Ionic, Corinthian and Composite. 

THE TUSCAN 

Is the most simple and solid of 
the five orders. It was invented 
in Tuscany, whence it derives its 
name. Its column is seven 
diameters high ; and its capital, 
base and entablature have but 
few mouldings. The simplicity 
of the construction of this column 
renders it eligible where ornar- 
ment would be superfluous. 




FELLOW-CKAFT. 



69 



THE DORIC, 

Which is plain and natural, is the most ancient, 
and was invented by the Greeks. 
Its column is eight diameters high, 
and has seldom any ornaments on 
base or capital, except mouldings. 
The solid composition of this Order 
gives it a preference, in structures 
where strength and a noble sim- 
plicity are chiefly required. The 
Doric is the best proportioned of 
all the Orders. The several parts of which it is 
composed are founded on the natural position 
of solid bodies. In its first invention it was 
more simple than in its present state. In after 
times, when it began to be adorned, it gained 
the name of Doric; for when it was constructed 
in its primitive and simple form, the name of 
Tuscan was conferred on it. Hence, the Tus- 
can precedes the Doric in rank, on account of 
its resemblance to that pillar in its original state. 




THE IONIC 

Bears a kind of mean proportion between the 
more solid and delicate Orders. Its column is 
nine diameters high; its capital is adorned with 



70 



MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 




volutes, and its cornice has den- 
tils. There is both delicacy and 
ingenuity displayed in this pillar, 
the invention of which is attribu- 
ted to the lonians, as the famous 
temple of Diana, at Ephesus, was 
of this Order. It is said to have 
been formed after the model 
of an agreeable young woman, 
of an elegant shape, dressed in her hair; as a 
contrast to the Doric Order, which was formed 
after that of a strong, robust man. 

THE CORINTHIAN, 

The richest of the five Orders, is deemed a 
master-piece of art. Its column 
is ten diameters high, and its 
capital is adorned with two rows 
of leaves, and eight volutes, which 
sustain the abacus. The frieze is 
ornamented with curious devices, 
the cornice with dentils and mo- 
dillions. This Order is used in 
stately and superb structures. 
It was invented at Corinth, by Callimachus, 

who is said to have taken the hint of the capital 




FELLOW-CRAPT. 



71 




of this pillar from the following remarkable cir- 
cumstance. Accidentally passing by the tomb 
of a young lady, he perceived 
a basket of toys, covered with 
a tile, placed over an acanthus 
root, having been left there by 
her nurse. As the branches 
grew up, they encompassed 
the basket, until arriving at the tile, they met 
with an obstruction and bent downwards. 
Callimachus, struck with the object, set about 
imitating the figure; the vase of the capital he 
made to represent the basket; the abacus the 
tile, and the volutes the bending leaves. 

THE COMPOSITE 

Is compounded of the other Orders and was 
contrived by the Romans. Its 
capital has the two rows of leaves 
of the Corinthian and the volutes 
of the Ionic. Its column has 
quarter-rounds, as the Tuscan and 
Doric Order; is ten diameters high, 
and its cornice has dentils, or 
simple modillions. This pillar is 
generally found in buildings where 

strength, elegance, and beauty are displayed. 




72 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

THE INVENTION OF ORDER IN ARCHITECTURE. 

The ancient and original Orders of Architec- 
ture, revered by Masons, are no more than 
three, the Doric^ lonic^ and Corinthian^ which 
were invented by the Greeks. To these, the 
Romans have added two, the Tuscan, which 
they made plainer than the Doric, and the Com- 
posite, which was more ornamental, if not more 
beautiful, than the Corinthian. The first three 
Orders alone, however, show invention and 
particular character, and essentially differ from 
each other; the two others have nothing but 
what is borrowed, and differ only accidentally; 
the Tuscan is the Doric in its earliest state; and 
the Composite is the Corinthian enriched with 
the Ionic. To the Greeks, therefore, and not 
to the Romans, we are indebted for what is great, 
judicious, and distinct in Architecture. 




liiiiEMiiiia^^^ 

Of these five Orders, the Ionic, Doric, awd 



FELLOW-CRAFT. 73 

Corinthian, as the most ancient, are most 
esteemed by Masons. 

* * * * :|: * 

THE FIVE SENSES OF HUMAN NATURE. 

An analysis of the human faculties is next given in 
this section, in which the five external senses particu- 
larly claim attention. 

The senses we are to consider as the gifts of 
nature, and though not the acquisition of our 
reasoning faculty, yet in the use of them, are 
still subject to reason. Reason, properly em- 
ployed, confirms the regulations of nature, which 
are always true and wholesome; she distin- 
guishes the good from the bad ; rejects the 
last with modesty, adheres to the first with 
reverence. The objects of human knowledge 
are innumerable: the channels by which this 
knowledge is conveyed are few. Among these, 
the perception of external things by the senses, 
and the information we receive from human 
testimony, are not the least considerable; the 
analogy between them is obvious. In the 
testimony of nature, given by the senses, as 
well as in human testimony, given by informa- 
tion, things are signified by signs. In one as 
well as the other, the mind, either by original 



74 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

principles or by custom, passes from the sign to 
the conception and belief of the thing signified. 
The signs in the natural language, as well as 
the signs in our original perceptions, have the 
same signification in all climates and nations, 
and the skill of interpreting them is not 
acquired, but innate. 

Having made these observations, we shall pro- 
ceed to give a brief description of the five senses. 

HEARING 

Is that sense by which we distinguish sounds, 
and are capable of enjoying all the agreeable 
charms of music. By it we are enabled to 
enjoy the pleasures of society, and reciprocally 
to communicate to each other our thoughts and 
intentions, our purposes and desires; and thus 
our reason is rendered capable of exerting its 
utmost power and energy. The wise and bene- 
ficent Author of Nature intended, by the 
formation of this sense, that we should be 
social creatures, and receive the greatest and 
most important part of our knowledge from 
social intercourse with each other. For these 
purposes we are endowed with hearing, that, 
by a proper exertion of our rational powers, 
our happiness may be complete. 



FELLOW-CRAFT. 76 

SEEING 

Is that sense by which we distinguish objects, 
and in an instant of time, without change of 
place or situation, view armies in battle array, 
figures of the most stately structures, and all 
the agreeable variety displayed in the landscape 
of nature. By this sense we find our way on 
the pathless ocean, traverse the globe of earth, 
determine its figure and dimensions, and deline- 
ate any region or quarter of it. By it we 
measure the planetary orbs, and make new 
discoveries in the sphere of the fixed stars. 
Nay, more, by it we perceive the tempers and 
dispositions, the passions and affections of our 
fellow-creatures, when they wish most to con- 
ceal them; so that, though the tongue may be 
taught to lie and dissemble, the countenance 
will display the hypocrisy to the discerning eye. 
In fine, the rays of light which administer to 
this sense, are the most astonishing parts of the 
animated creation, and render the eye a peculiar 
object of admiration. 

Of all the faculties, Sight is the noblest. The 
structure of the eye, and its appurtenances, 
evince the admirable contrivance of nature for 
performing all its various external and internal 



76 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

motions; while the variety displayed in the eyes 
of diiFerent animals, suited to their several ways 
of life, clearly demonstrate this organ to be the 
master-piece of nature's works. 

FEELING 

Is that sense by which we distinguish the dif- 
ferent qualities of bodies; such as heat and cold, 
hardness and softness, roughness and smooth- 
ness, figure, solidity, motion, and extension. 

These three senses, Hearing, Seeing, and 
Feeling, are deemed peculiarly essential among 
Masons. 



smelling 
Is that sense by which we distinguish odors, the 
various kinds of which convey different impres- 
sions to the mind. Animal and vegetable bodies, 
and indeed most other bodies, while exposed to 
the air, continually send forth effluvia of vast 
subtility, as well in a state of life and growth, 
as in the state of fermentation and putrefaction. 
These effluvia, being drawn into the nostrils 
along with the air, are the means by which all 
bodies are distinguished. Hence it is evident, 
that there is a manifest appearance of design in 



EELLOW-CRAFI. 77 

the great Creator's having planted the organ 
of smell in the inside of that canal, through 
which the air continually passes in respiration. 

TASTING 

Enables us to make a proper distmction in the 
choice of our food. The organ of this sense 
guards the entrance of the alimentary canal, 
as that of smelling guards the entrance of the 
canal for respiration. From the situation of 
both these organs, it is plain that they were 
intended by nature to distinguish wholesome 
food from that which is nauseous. Everything 
that enters into the stomach must undergo the 
scrutiny of tasting; and by it we are capable of 
discerning the changes which the same body 
undergoes in the different compositions of art, 
cookery, chemistry, pharmacy, etc. 

Smelling and Tasting are inseparably con- 
nected, and it is by the unnatural kind of life 
men commonly lead in society, that these senses 
are rendered less fit to perform their natural 
office's. 

The proper use of these five senses enables 
us to form just and accurate notions of the 
operations of nature; and when we reflect on 



78 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

the objects with which our senses are gratified, 
we become conscious of them, and are enabled 
to attend to them, till they become familiar 
objects of thought. 

On the mind all our knowledge must depend; 
what, therefore, can be a more proper subject 
for the investigation of Masons ? 

To sum up the whole of this transcendent 
measure of God's bounty to man, we shall add, 
that memory, imagination, taste, reasoning, 
moral perception, and all the active powers of 
the soul, present a vast and boundless field for 
philosophical disquisition, which far exceeds 
human inquiry, and are peculiar mysteries, 
known only to nature, and to nature's God, to 
whom all are indebted for creation, preservation, 
and every blessing we enjoy. 

THE SEVEN LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES, 

Which are Grammar, Ehetoric, Logic, Arithmetic, 
Geometry, Music and Astronomy, are nezt illustrated. 

GRAMMAR 

Is the key by which alone the door can be 
opened to the understanding of speech. It is 
Grammar which reveals the admirable art of 
language, and unfolds its various constituent 



FELLOW-CRAFT. 79 

parts, its names, definitions and respective 
offices; it unravels, as it were, the thread of 
which the web of speech is composed. These 
reflections seldom occur to any one before their 
acquaintance with the art; yet it is most certain 
that without a knowledge of G-rammar it is very 
difficult to speak with propriety, precision and 
purity. 

RHETORIC. 

It is by Rhetoric that the art of speaking 
eloquently is acquired. To be an eloquent 
speaker, in the proper sense of the word, is far 
from being either a common or an easy attain- 
ment: it is the art of being persuasive and 
commanding; the art, not only of pleasing the 
fancy, but of speaking both to the understand- 
ing and to the heart. 

LOGIC 

Is that science which directs us how to form 
clear and distinct ideas of things, and thereby 
prevents us from being misled by their simih- 
tude or resemblance . Of all the human sciences, 
that concerning man is certainly most worthy 
of the human mind, and the proper manner of 
conducting its several powers in the attainment 
of truth and knowledge. This science ought to 



80 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

be cultivated as the foundation or ground-work 
of our inquiries; particularly in the pursuit of 
those sublime principles which claim our atten- 
tion as Masons. 

ARITHMETIC 

Is the art of numbering, or that part of the 
mathematics which considers the properties of 
numbers in general. We have but a very im- 
perfect idea of things without quantity, and as 
imperfect of quantity itself, without the help of 
Arithmetic. All the works of the Almighty 
are made in number, weight and measure; 
therefore, to understand them rightly, we ought 
to understand arithmetical calculations; and the 
greater advancement we make in the mathe- 
matical sciences, the more capable we shall be 
of considering such things as are the ordinary 
objects of our conceptions, and be thereby led 
to a more comprehensive knowledge of our 
great Creator, and the works of the creation. 

GEOMETRY 

Treats of the powers and properties of magni- 
tudes in general, where length, breadth and 
thickness are considered — from di. point to a /me, 
from a line to a superfices. and from a superfices 
to a solid. 



FELLOW-CRAFT. 81 

A ^j>om^ is the beginning of all geometrical 
matter. 

A line is a continuation of the same. 

A superfices is length and breadth without a 
given thickness. 

A solid is length and breadth with a given 
thickness, which forms a cube, and comprehends 
the whole. 

THE ADVANTAGES OF GEOMETRY. 

By this science the architect is enabled to 
construct his plans, and execute his designs; the 
general, to arrange his soldiers; the engineer, 
to mark out grounds for encampments; the 
geographer, to give us the dimensions of the 
world, and all things therein contained; to 
delineate the extent of seas, and specify the 
divisions of empires, kingdoms and provinces. 
By it, also, the astronomer is enabled to make 
his observations, and to fix the duration of times 
and seasons, years and cycles. In fine. Geom- 
etry is the foundation of architecture, and the 
root of the mathematics. 

MUSIC 

Is that elevated science which affects the pas- 
sions by sound. There are few who have not 
felt its charms, and acknowledged its expres- 

4* 



82 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

sions to be intelligible to the heart. It is u, 
language of delightful sensations, far more 
eloquent than words; it breathes to the ear the 
clearest intimations; it touches and gently agi- 
tates the agreeable and sublime passions; it 
wraps us in melancholy, and elevates us in joy; 
it dissolves and inflames; it melts us in tender- 
ness, and excites us to war. This science is 
truly congenial to the nature of man; for by its 
powerful charms the most discordant passions 
may be harmonized and brought into perfect 
unison; but it never sounds with such seraphic 
harmony as when employed in singing hymns 
of gratitude to the Creator of the universe. 

ASTRONOMY 

Is that sublime science which inspires the con- 
templative mind to soar aloft, and read the 
wisdom, strength and beauty of the great 
Creator in the heavens. How nobly eloquent 
of the Deity is the celestial hemisphere ! — 
spangled with the most magnificent heralds of 
his infinite glory ! They speak to the whole 
universe; for there is no speech so barbarous 
but their language is understood; nor nation so 
distant but their voices are heard among them. 

The heavens proclaim the glory of God; 

The firmament declareth the works of his hands. 



FELLOW-CKAFT. 



83 



Assisted by Astronomy, we ascertain the laws 
which govern the heavenly bodies, and by which 
their motions are directed; investigate the 
power by which they circulate in their orbs, 
discover their size, determine their distance 
explain their various phenomena, and correct 
the fallacy of the senses by the hght of truth. 



Here an 
explained: 



emblem of Plenty is introduced and 





84 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 




THE MORAL ADVANTAGES OF GEOMETRY. 

Geometry, the first and noblest of sciences, 
is the basis on which the superstructure of Free- 
masonry is erected. By Geometry we may 
curiously trace nature through her various 
windings, to her most concealed recesses. By 
it, we discover the power, wisdom and good- 
ness of the Grand Artificer of the Universe, and 
view with delight the proportions which connect 
this vast machine. By it, we discover how the 
planets move in their respective orbits, and 
demonstrate their various revolutions. By it 
we account for the return of the seasons, and 
the variety of scenes which each season displays 
to the discerning eye. N'umberless worlds are 
around us, all framed by the same Divine 
Artist which roll through the vast expanse, 



I 



FELLOW-CRAFT. 85 

and are all conducted by the same unerring 
law of nature. 

A survey of nature, and the observation of 
her beautiful proportions, first determined man 
to imitate the divine plan, and study symmetry 
and order. This gave rise to societies, and 
birth to every useful art. The architect began 
to design; and the plans which he laid down, 
being improved by time and experience, have 
produced works which are the admiration of 
every age. 

The lapse of time, the ruthless hand of igno- 
rance, and the devastations of war, have laid 
waste and destroyed manj^ valuable monuments 
of antiquity, on which the utmost exertions of 
human genius have been employed. Even the 
Temple of Solomon, so spacious and magnificent, 
and constructed by so many celebrated artists, 
escaped not the unsparing ravages of barbarous^ 
force. Freemasonry, notwithstanding, has still 
survived. The attentive ear receives the sound 
from the instructive tongue, and the mysteries of 
Masom-y are safely lodged in the repository of 
faithful breasts. Tools and implements of archi- 
tecture, and symbolic emblems, most expres- 
sive, are selected by the Fraternity, to imprint 



MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 



on the mind wise and serious truths; and thus, 
through a succession of ages, are transmitted 
unimpaired the most excellent tenets of our 
Institution. 



Thus end the two sections of the second lecture, 
which, with the ceremony used at Oj)ening and Closing 
the Lodge, comprehend the whole of the second degree 
of Masonry. This lecture contains a regular system of 
science, demonstrated on the clearest principles, and 
founded on the most stable foundation. 



CHARGE TO A FELLOW-CRAFT. 

Brother: Being now advanced to the second 
degree of Freemasonry, in the name of the 
brethren who now surround you, I congratulate 
you on your preferment. It is at once an evi- 
dence of your proficiency in the preceding 
degree, and that you have thus far satisfactorily 
discharged the duties required of you. 

Masonry, my brother, is progressive in its 
nature; and the further you advance, the 
stronger become the duties which unite you to 
your brethren. The duties required of you 
are such as every man may perform, who is 
properly impressed with their importance. 
Founded upon the truths of the sacred Scrip- 



FELLOW-CRAFT. 87 

tures, they carry with them the evidence of 
their value; and your own judgment must 
convince you that a strict adherence to the 
principles of the Order will enhance your 
character and reputation. 

In your intercourse with your brethren, culti- 
vate friendship and brotherly love, those noble 
principles of our profession without which Free- 
masonry would be only as "sounding brass or 
a tinkling cymbal." 

Cultivate literature and the fine arts, not only 
as a personal accomplishment, but as a means 
of refined and social entertainment; they tend 
to polish and adorn the mind, and advance 
mankind in the scale of improvement. With a 
mind enriched with useful knowledge, man is 
never alone; he has within himself means of 
enjoyment, far preferable to all the pleasures 
which the haunts of dissipation can afford. 

Study the principles inculcated in the degree 
you have just received; the}^ are to regulate 
3^our conduct and prepare you for further 
advancement; and, finally, my brother, keep 
sacred and inviolate the mysteries which have 
been entrusted to you, and steadil}* persevere 
in the practice of every commendable virtue. 



MASTER MASOFS DEGREE. 



The degree of Master Mason is much more important 
than either of the preceding degrees, as it involves 
higher responsibilities and more extended duties: and 
the ceremonies are more solemn and impressive. From 
this class the rulers of regular bodies of Masons in the 
firsb three degrees of Masonry are selected, as it is only 
from those who have made such advances as to enable 
them to give instruction, that the less informed can expect 
to receive it. Hence every brother who aspires to be a 
" ruler " over his fellows, must see the necessity of being 
not only thoroughly versed in the great principles of 
the Order, but the proper mode of administering its 
rites and ceremonies. 

The Master Mason imposes upon himself the discharge 
of important moral duties, which are inculcated in the 
different sections of this degree. Beginning within the 
circle of domestic and social duties, the bosom of the 
Master Mason should dilate to the more enlarged circle 
of the pubhc duties he owes to his country; and not 
confining his affections even there, his heart should 
expand to the spacious circles of human nature, and 
swell with emotions of universal love and benevolence. 

Freemasonry in every degi'ee, as before remarked, is 
progressive. A knowledge of it can only be attained by 
time, patience and application. In the first degree we 
are taught the duties we owe to God, our neighbor and 
ourselves. In the second, we are more thoroughly 



MASTER MASON. 89 

inducted into tlie mysteries of moral science, and learn 
to trace the goodness and majesty of the Creator, by 
minutely analyzing his works. But the third degTee is 
the cement of the whole. It is calculated to bind men 
together by mystic j^ouits of fellowship, as in a bond 
of fraternal affection and brotherly love. It is among 
brethren of this degree that the ancient Landmarks 
of the Order are preserved, and it is from them that 
we derive that fund of information which none but 
ingenious and expert Masons can supply. 



FIEST SECTION. 

The first section in this, as in the two preceding 
degrees, is initiatoiy; and a knowledge of it is indis- 
pensable to every brother who would make himself 
useful in the ceremonial transactions of a Lodge. 

The Compasses are peculiarly consecrated to this 
degree, because within their extreme points, 
when properly extended, are emblematically 
said to be enclosed the principal tenets of our 
profession, and hence the moral application 
of the Compasses, in the third degree, is to 
those precious jewels of a Master Mason, Friendship, 
Morality, and Brotherly Love. 

The following passage of Scripture is introduced 
during the ceremonies : 

Remember now thy Creator in the days of 
thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor 
the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I 
have no pleasure in them ; 




90 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

While the sun, or the Hght, or the luoon, or 
the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds 
return after the rain : 

In the day when the keepers of the house 
shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow 
themselves, and the grinders cease because they 
are few, and those that look out of the windows 
be darkened, 

And the doors shall be shut in the streets, 
when the sound of the grinding is low, and he 
shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all 
the daughters of music shall be brought low. 

Also when they shall be afraid of that which 
is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the 
almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper 
shall be a burden, and desire shall fail ; because 
man goeth to his long home, and the mourners 
go about the streets : 

Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the 
golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be 
broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at 
the cistern. 

Then shall the dust return to the earth as it 
was ; and the spirit shall return unto God who 
gave it. — Eccl. xii. 1-7. 



MASTER MASON. 



91 



Or, the following, or some otlier suitable Ode, may be 
Sling : 



Music — Bonny Boon. 



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re - mem-ber in our youth, Be - 



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mem'- ry fail, and plea - sures fly ; Or 



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92 



MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 




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sun, or moon, or plan - et's light grow 



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dark, or clouds re - turn in irloom ; 

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Strength shall bow and years con-sume. 



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Let us in youth remember him ! 

Who formed our frame and spirits gave, 



MASTER MASON. 

Ere windows of tlie mind grow dim. 
Or door of speech obstructed wave; 

When voice of bird fresh terrors wake, 
And Music's daughters charm no more, 

Or fear to rise, with trembhng shake 
Along the path we travel o'er. 

In youth, to God, let memory cHng, 

Before desire shall fail or wane. 
Or ere be loosed Hfe's silver string, 

Or bowl at fountain rent in twain ; 
For man to his long home doth go, 

And mourners group around his urn; 
Our dust to dust again must flow, 

And spirits unto God return. 





All the implements in Masonry, indiscriminately, 
properly belong to this degree, and may be illustrated 
in this section. The Trowel, however, is more particu- 
larly referred to. 



94 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 




THE TROWEL 

Is an instrument made use of by Operative 
Masons, to spread the cement which unites a 
building into one common mass; but we, as Free 
and Accepted Masons, are taught to make use of 
it for the more noble and glorious purpose of 
spreading the cement of brotherly love and 
affection, that cement which unites us into one 
sacred band, or society of friends and brothers, 
among whom no contention should ever exist, 
but that noble contention, or rather emulation, 
of who can best work or best agree. 

The Troioel teaches that nothing can be united 
without proper cement, and that the perfection 
of a building must depend on the manner in 
which the materials are joined together. 
Charity, the bond of perfection and social union, 
must connect separate interests in one, so that 
like the radii of a circle, which extend from the 
center to every part of the circumference, the 
principle of universal benevolence may be dif- 
fused to every member of the community. This 



MASTER MASON. 95 

IS a further spiritual use which should be made 
of the Trowel, by Free and Accepted Masons. 

The three Jewels of a Master Mason — Friendship, 
M0E.U.1TY and Brotherly Love — are explained. 



SECOND SECTION. 

The second section recites the traditions of the Order, 
and presents to view a finished picture of the utmost 
consequence to the Fraternity. It exemplifies an 
instance of vii'tue, fortitude, and integrity, seldom 
equaled, and never excelled in the history of man. In 
this section is likewise inculcated the important doctrine 
of the immortality of the soul. Never has any nation 
been discovered on the face of the earth, so rude and 
barbarous, that in the midst of their wildest supersti- 
tions, there was not cherished among them, some 
expectation of a state after death in which virtue would 
be rewarded and vice punished. Many of the strongest 
passions of our nature are made to have a clear 
reference to a future existence of the soul. The love of 
fame, the ardent concern which prevails about futurity, 
all allude to somewhat in which men suppose them- 
selves to be personally concerned after death. The 
concern of the good and the bad, bear witness to a 
world which is to come ; and seldom do men leave this 
world without some fears or hopes respecting it; some 
secret anticipations and presages of what is hereafter 
to befal them. 



96 



MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 



i 



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FUNERAL DIRGE. 

Music. — Pleyd's Hymn. 

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Mortals, now indulge a tear. 
For Mortality is here 1 
See how wide her trophies wave 
O'er the slumbers of the grave ! 

Here another guest we bring; 

Seraphs of celestial wing, 

To our fuu'ral altar come, 

"Waft our friend and brother home. 



MASTER ]yL\SON. 97 

There, enlarged, thy soul shall see 
What was vailed in mystery; 
Heavenly glories of the place 
Show his Maker face to face. 

Lord of all I below — above — 
Fill our hearts with truth and love; 
When dissolves our earthly tie. 
Take us to thy Lodge on high. 

The following passages of Scripture are introduced : 

The hand of the Lord was upon me, and 
carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and 
set me down in the midst of the valley which 
was full of bones, 

And caused me to pass by them round about: 
and, behold, there were very many in the open 
valley; and lo, they were very dry. 

And he said unto me, son of man, can these 
bones hve ? and I answered, Lord God, thou 
knowest. 

Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these 
bones, and say unto them, ye dry bones, 
hear the word of the Lord. 

Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones : 
Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, 
and ye shall live : 

And I will lay sinews upon you, and will 
bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with. 
5 



98 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; 
and ye shall know that I am the Lord. 

So I prophesied as I was commanded ; and 
as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold 
a shaking, and the bones came together, bone 
to his bone. 

And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the 
flesh came upon them, and the skin covered 
them above ; but there was no breath in them. 

Then he said unto me. Prophesy unto the 
wind, prophesy son of man, and say to the 
wind. Thus saith the Lord God : Come from 
the four winds, breath, and breathe upon 
these slain, that they may live. 

So I prophesied as he commanded me, and 
the breath came into them, and they lived. — 
Ezekiel xxxvii. 1-10. 



PKAYER. 
Thou, God ! knowest our down-sitting and 
our up-rising, and understandeth our thoughts 
afar off. Shield and defend us from the evil 
intentions of our enemies, and support us under 
the trials and afflictions we are destined to en- 
dure, while traveling through this vale of tears 
Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and 



MASTER MASON. 99 

full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, 

and is cut down ; he fleeth also as a shadow, and 
continueth not. Seeing his days are determined, 
the number of his months are with thee ; thou 
hast appointed his bounds that he cannot 
pass ; turn from him that he may rest, till 
he shall accomplish his day. For there is 
hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will 
sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof 
will not cease. But man dieth, and wasteth 
away ; yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where 
is he ? As the waters fail from the sea, and the 
flood decayeth and drieth up; so man lieth 
down, and riseth not till the heavens be no 
more. Yet, Lord ! have compassion on the 
children of thy creation; administer them comfort 
in time of trouble, and save them with an ever- 
lasting salvation. Amen. 
Response. So mote it be. 




100 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

Masons owe certain duties of brotherly love and 
friendship to each other, the practice of which, as the 
distinguishing principles of our Order, are inculcated 
by the Master in the most impressive manner. 

We should not permit the foot to halt, but 
forgetting all selfish feelings, be ever ready to 
serve a brother in distress, his widow and 
orphans. When our prayers ascend to the 
throne of the Most High, we should remember 
a brother's welfare as our own. We should 
never injure or betray the confidence of a 
brother, as by so doing we might inflict upon 
him the greatest injury he could sustain in this 
life. It would be like the villainy of an assassin, 
who lurks in darkness to stab his adversary, 
when unarmed and unprepared to meet an 
enemy. When the misfortunes of a brother 
call for aid, we should not withdraw the hand 
that might keep him from sinking. We should 
support a brother's character when we hear it 
wrongfully assailed, and we should be ever 
ready to assist him with our best counsel and 
advice. 



102 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

THIRD SECTION. 
This section illustrates certain hieroglyphical em- 
blems, and inculcates many useful and impressive moral 
lessons. It also details many particulars relative to the 
building of the Temple at Jerusalem. 

This magnificent Temple was founded in the 
fourth year of the reign of Solomon, on the 
second day of the month of Zif, being the second 
month of the sacred year. It was situated on 
Mount Moriah, near the place where Abraham 
was about to offer up his son Isaac, and where 
David met and appeased the destroying angel. 

No structure was ever like this for exact 
proportion and beautiful dimensions, from the 
magnificent Portico in the East, to the Sanctum 
Sanctorum in the West ; with numerous apart- 
ments for the Kings and Princes, the Sanhedrim, 
the Priests and Levites of Israel, and the outer 
courts for the Gentiles, it being a house of 
prayer for all nations. It was supported by 
fourteen hundred and fifty-three columns, and 
two thousand nine hundred pilasters, all hewn 
from the finest Parian marble, and about two 
thousand two hundred and forty-six windows; 
and it was lined with massive gold, set with innu- 
merable diamonds and precious stones. There 
were employed in its building, three G-rand Mas- 



MASTER ]^IASON. 103 

lers; three thousand three hundred Masters, or 
overseers of the work; eighty thousand Crafts- 
men, and seventy thousand Entered Apprentices, 
or bearers of burthen. All these were so classed 
and arranged by the wisdom of Solomon, that 
neither envy, discord, nor confusion, were 
suffered to interrupt the universal peace which 
pervaded the world at that important period. 

In front of the magnificent porch were placed 
the two celebrated pillars — one on the left hand 
and one on the right hand. They are supposed 
to have been placed there as a memorial to the 
children of Israel, of the happy deliverance of 
their forefathers from Egyptian bondage, and 
in commemoration of the miraculous pillars of 
fire and cloud. The pillar of fire gave light to 
the Israelites and facihtated their march, and 
the cloud proved darkness to Pharaoh and his 
host, and retarded their pursuit. King Solomon, 
therefore, ordered these pillars to be placed at 
the entrance of the temple, as the most con- 
spicuous part, that the children of Israel might 
have that happy event continually before their 
eyes, in going to and returning from divine 
worship. 

****** 



104 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

In this section are also explained a variety of appro- 
priate emblems, with which the skillful brother will not 
fail to make himself familiarly acquainted, and they are 
thus explained: 




THE THREE STEPS, 

Usually delineated upon the Master's carpet, are 
emblematical of the three principal stages of 
human life, viz: Youth, Manhood, and Age. In 
Youth, as Entered Apprentices, we ought indus- 
triously to occupy our minds in the attainment 
of useful knowledge; in ManJiood, as Fellow- 
Crafts, we should apply our knowledge to the 
discharge of our respective duties to God, our 
neighbor, and ourselves; so that, in Age, as 
Master Masons, we may enjoy the happy reflec- 
tion consequent on a well-spent life, and die in 
the hope of a glorious immortality. 




MASTER MASON. 106 

THE POT OF INCENSE 

Is an emblem of a pure heart, which is always 
an acceptable sacrifice to the Deity; 
and, as this glows with fervent heat, 
so should our hearts continually glow 
with gratitude to the great and bene- 
ficent Author of our existence, for 

the manifold blessings and comforts we enjoy. 

THE BEE HIVE 

Is an emblem of industry, and recommends 
the practice of that virtue to all 
created beings, from the highest 
seraph in heaven, to the lowest 
reptile of the dust. It teaches us, that as we 
came into the world rational and intelligent 
beings, so we should ever be industrious also, 
and never rest contented while our fellow- 
creatures around us are in want, especially 
when it is in our power to relieve them, without 
inconvenience to ourselves. 

the book of constitutions, guarded by the 
tiler's sword, 

Reminds us that we should be ever watchful 
and guarded in our thoughts, words, and 
5* 




106 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 




actions, particularly when before 
the enemies of Masonry; ever 
bearing in remembrance those 
truly Masonic virtues, silence and 
circumspection . 



THE SWORD, POINTING TO A NAKED HEART, 

. Demonstrates that justice will 
sooner or later overtake usj and 
although our thoughts, words, 
and actions, may be hidden from 
the eyes of man, yet that 

ALL-SEEING EYE, 





Whom the Sun, Moon, and Stars obey, and under 
whose watchful care even Comets move in their 
stupendous orbits, pervades the inmost recesses 
of the human Heart, and will reward us ac- 
cording to our merits. 



MASTER MASON. 107 

THE ANCHOR AND ARK 

Are emblems of a well-grounded hope^ and a 
well-spent life. They are emblematical of that 

divine Arh, which safely 
lliM i wafts us over this tem- 
pestuous sea of troubles, 
and that Anchor which 
shall safely moor us in a peaceful harbor, where 
the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary 
shall find rest. 

THE FORTY-SEVENTH PROBLEM OF EUCLID. 

This was an invention of our ancient friend 
and brother, the great Pythagoras, who, in his 
travels through Asia, Africa, and 
Europe, was initiated into several 
orders of priesthood, and raised 
to the sublime degree of Master 



Mason. This wise philosopher enriched his 
mind abundantly in a general knowledge of 
arts and sciences, more especially in Geometry, 
or Masonry. On this subject he devised many 
problems and theorems; among the most cele- 
brated of which was this, which, in the joy 
of his heart, he called Eureka^ in the Grecian 
language, signifying, I have found it ; and upon 
the discovery of which he is said to have sacri- 



108 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

ficed a hecatomb. It teaches Masons to be 
general lovers of the arts and sciences. 

THE HOUR-GLASS 

Is an emblem of human life. Behold! how 
swiftly the sands run, and how rapidly our lives 
are drawing to a close ! We cannot with- 
out astonishment behold the little parti- 
cles which are contained in this machine; 
how the}^ pass away almost imperceptibly! 
and yet, to our surprise, in the short space of 
an hour they are all exhausted. Thus wastes 
man! " To-day, he puts forth the tender leaves 
of hope; to-morrow, blossoms, and bears his 
blushing honors thick upon him; the third day 
comes a frost, a killing frost, which nips the ten- 
der shoot; and when he thinks his greatness is 
still aspiring, falls, like autumn leaves, to enrich 
our mother earth." 

THE SCYTHE 

Is an emblem of Time, which cuts the brittle 
thread of life, and launches into eternity. 
Behold! what havoc the 
Scythe of Time makes among 
the human race! If by 
chance we should escape the 
numerous evils incident to 
childhood and youth, and 




MASTER MASON. 



109 



with health and vigor arrive to the years of 
manhood ; yet, withal, we must soon be cut 
down by the all- devouring Scythe of Time, and 
be gathered into the land where our fathers 
have gone before us. ' ' 




Thus we close the explanation of the emblems 
upon the solemn thought of death, which, 
without revelation, is dark and gloomy ; but 
we are suddenly revived by the ever -green and 
ever Hving sprig of Faith in the merits of the 
Lion of the tribe of Judah ; which strengthens 
us, with confidence and composure, to look 
forward to a blessed immortality ; and doubt 
not, but in the glorious morn of the resurrec- 
tion, our bodies will rise, and become as incor- 
ruptible as our souls. 



110 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

Then let us imitate the good man in his 
virtuous and amiable conduct ; in his unfeigned 
piety to God ; in his inflexible fidelity to his 
trust; that we may welcome the grim tyrant 
Death, and receive him as a kind messenger 
sent from our Supreme Grand Master, to 
translate us from this imperfect to that all- 
perfect, glorious and celestial Lodge above, 
where the Supreme Architect of the Universe 
presides. 



CHARGE TO A MASTER MASON. 

Brother : You have now been received into 
the third degree of Masonry, and you must have 
perceived the additional duties imposed upon 
you. It is the last degree of symbolic Masonry j 
it was the earliest founded, and includes the 
largest number of members. You are now 
bound by duty, honor and gratitude, to be 
faithful to the trust reposed in you; to support 
with dignity the character of a Master Mason, 
and to enforce by precept and example 
obedience to the tenets of the Order. 

The great principles of moral truth and moral 
government, which are unfolded in this and the 
preceding degrees, originated in the Divino 



MASTER MASON. Ill 

Mind, when order sprung out of chaos, and 
the Great Creator said, "Let us make man/' 
These principles were breathed into the ear of 
Adam amid the dehghtful shades of Paradise, 
when everything glowed around him in all the 
beauty and freshness of the morning of creation. 
They were delivered by the Almighty himself 
to Moses, amidst the awful thunders and vivid 
flashes of Sinai, and they are constantly whis- 
pered in our ears in a still, small voice, and in 
language all may comprehend. 

In the character of a Master Mason, you are 
authorized to correct the irregularities of your 
less informed Brethren, and to warn them 
against a breach of fidelity ; but when you find 
it necessary to reprove, let reproof be adminis- 
tered with kindness. 

To preserve unsullied the reputation of the 
Fraternity, should be your constant care; never 
indulge in those excesses which may degrade 
your character or dishonor your profession. 
Charity and benevolence you are always to in- 
culcate ; they are Masonic virtues which should 
ever be held in special veneration. Charity is 
one of the main pillars of the Order, and he 
who is destitute of that noble feeling, is un- 



112 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

worthy the name of Mason. The Mason^s heart 
should be ever ready to commiserate distress ; 
his hand ever open to reheve it, so far as he 
can, without injury to himself or family ; he 
should drop the cordial balm on the wounds 
affliction has made, and bind up the hearts 
which sorrow has broken. 

The ancient Landmarks of the Order entrusted 
to your keeping you are carefully to preserve; 
never suffer them to be infringed, or counte- 
nance in others a deviation from the estabhshed 
usages and customs of the Fraternity. 

Your honor and reputation are concerned in 
supporting with dignity the character you now 
bear. Let no motive, therefore, make you 
swerve from your duty, violate your vows, or 
betray your trust ; but be true and faithful, and 
imitate the example of that celebrated artist 
you have this evening represented. Thus you 
will render yourself deserving the honor we 
have conferred, and merit the confidence we 
have reposed. 



PAST MASTER'S DEGREE. 



This degree should be carefully studied and well 
understood by every Master of a Lodge. It treats of 
tlie government of our Society; the disposition of our 
Eulers; and illustrates their requisite qualifications. It 
includes the ceremonies of Opening and Closing Lodges; 
Consecrating, Dedicating and Constituting new Lodges; 
Installing Officers of Subordinate and Grand Lodges; 
Laying Foundation Stones; Dedicating Masonic Halls; 
Grand Visitations; Funeral Services; Processions, etc. 

The following passages of Scripture serve to elucidate 
this degree: 

And there was given me a reed like unto a 
rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and 
measure the temple of God, and the altar, and 
them that worship therein. — Rev. xi. 1, 

And he brought me thither, and behold, there 
was a man, whose appearance was like the 
appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his 
hand, and a measuring reed : and he stood in 
the gate. 

And the man said unto me, Son of man, behold 
with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and 



114 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee ; 
for to the intent that 1 might show them unto 
thee art thou brought hither : declare all that 
thou seest to the house of Israel. — Ezek. xl. 3, 4. 

Then came he unto the gate which looketh 
toward the East, and went up the stairs thereof, 
and measured the threshold of the gate, which 
was one reed broad; and the other threshold of 
the gate, which was one reed broad. — Ezek. 
xl. 6. 

And he brought me into the inner court 
toward the East: and he measured the gate 
according to these measures. — Ezek. xl. 32. 

The length of the porch was twenty cubits, 
and the breadth eleven cubits; and he brought 
me by the steps whereby they went up to it: 
and there were pillars by the posts, one on 
this side, and another on that side. — Ezek. xl. 49. 

Thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take 
forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be 
as my mouth — Jer. xv. 19. 



PART II. 



ANCIENT CEREMONIES. 



ANCIENT CEREMONIES. 



■ CONSECRATION, DEDICATION, AND CONSTITUTION OP i 
NEW LODGE. 
When a Charter is issued by direction of the Grand 
Lodge, and not before, are the brethren to whom the 
same shall be issued, to be Constituted into a Lodge. 
This ceremony should be performed by the Grand 
Master or the Deputy Grand Master; but when neither 
can attend, the Grand Master may appoint some capable 
Past Master to perform the ceremony. When the Grand 
Master is present, the Lodge is said to be constituted 
in Amjjie Form; if the Deputy Grand Master only, it 
is in Due Form ; but if the power is delegated to any 
other, it is said to be in Form. 

CONSECEATION. 

On the day and hour appointed, the Grand Master 
and his officers, or their representatives, meet in a con- 
venient room, near to that in which the Lodge is to be 
consecrated. 

After the officers of the new Lodge are examined, 
they send a messenger to the Grand Master, with the 
following message : 

Most Worshipful: The officers and brethren 

of Lodge, who are now assembled at 

, have instructed me to inform you, that 



118 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge (or Grand 
Master) was pleased to grant them a letter of 

Dispensation, bearing date the day of 

in the year , authorizing them to 

form and open a Lodge of Free and Accepted 

Masons, in the of ; that since that 

period they have regularly assembled, and con- 
ducted the business of Masonry according to 
the best of their abilities; that their proceedings 
having received the approbation of the Most 
Worshipful Grand Lodge, they have obtained a 
Charter of Constitution, and are desirous that 
their Lodge should be consecrated, and their 
officers installed, agreeably to the ancient usages 
and customs of the Craft; for which purpose 
they are now met, and await the pleasure of 
the Most Worshipful Grand Master. 

The Grand Master and his officers, or theii* repre- 
sentatives, walk in procession to the room of the new 
Lodge. 

If the ceremonies are performed in public, the Grand. 
Marshal then forms the procession in the following 
order: 

Tiler, with drawn sword; 

Two Stewards, with white rods; 

Master Masons, two and two; 

Junior Deacons; 

Senior Deacons; 



CONSECRATION OF A LODGE. 119 

Secretaries; 

Treasurers; 

Past Wardens; 

Junior Wardens; 

Senior Wardens; 

Past Masters; 

Members of the liiglier degrees; 

THE NEW LODGE. 

Tiler, with drawn sword; 

Stewards with white rods; 

Master Masons; 

Junior and Senior Deacons; 

Secretary and Treasurer; 

Two brethren carrying the Lodge; 

Junior and Senior Wardens; 

The Holy Writings, carried by the oldest member 

not in office; 

Worshipful Master; 

Music. 

THE GRAND OFFICERS. 

Grand Tiler, with drawn sword; 

Grand Stewards, with white rods; 

Grand Pursuivant, with sword; 

Grand Secretary and Grand Treasurer; 

A Past Master, bearing the Holy Writings, Square 

and Compasses, supported by two 

Stewards with rods; 

Two Burning Tapers, borne by two Past Masters; 

Grand Chaplain and Orator; 

The Tuscan and Composite Orders; 

The Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian Orders; 

Past Grand Wardens; 

Past Deputy Grand Masters; 



120 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

Past Grand Masters; 

The Celestial and Terrestrial Globes, borne by 

two brethren; 

Junior Grand Warden, carrying a silver vessel with oil; 

Senior Grand Warden, carrying a silver vessel with wine; 

Deputy Grand Master, carrying a golden vessel 

with corn; 

Master of the oldest Lodge, carrying the Book of 

Constitutions; 

Grand Master, 

Supported by the Grand Deacons, with white rods; 

Grand Standard Bearer; 

Grand Sword Bearer, with di'awn sword. 

The procession moves on to the church or house 
where the services are to be performed. When the 
front of the procession arrives at the door, they halt, 
open to the right and left, and face inward, while the 
Grand Master, and others, in succession, pass through 
and enter the house. 

A platform is erected in front of the pulpit, and pro- 
vided with seats for the accommodation of the Grand 
Officers. 

The Bible, Square and Compasses, and Book of Con- 
stitutions, are placed upon a table in front of the 
Grand Master ; the Lodge^ is placed in the center, upon 
a platform covered with white linen, and encompassed 
by the three tapers, and the vessels of corn, wine and oil. 

* The Jjodge, technically speaking, is a piece of furniture, made 
in imitation of the Ark of the Covenant, which was constructed 
according to the form of the Temple. The instrument usually- 
used on occasions of Constituting, Consecrating and Dedicating 
Lodges, is a box, of an oblong-square shape, covered with white 
linen. 



CONSECRATION OF A LODGE. 121 

The following services then take place, using the 
'ollowing or some other appropriate Odes : 

ODE. 

AiK — Shirland. S. M. 
Great source of Hght and love, 

To thee our songs we raise ! 
O ! in thy temple, Lord, above. 

Hear and accept our praise ! 

Shine on this festive day, 

Succeed its hoped design. 
And may our Charity display 

A love resembling thine. 

May this fi-aternal band, 

Now Consecrated — blest, 
In union all distinguished stand, 

In purity be di*est. 

Prayer is then offered by the Grand Chaplain; at the 
conclusion of which an Oration is delivered hy some 
competent Brother. 

ODE. 

Am — Duke Street. L. M. 
How blest the sacred tie that binds 
In sweet communion kindred minds ! 
How swift the heavenly course they run. 
Whose hearts, whose faith, whose hopes are one- 
Together oft they seek the place 
Where Masons meet with smiling face; 
How high, how strong their raptures swell. 
There's none but kindred souls can tell. 
6 



(J^A. I. '^^ 



122 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

Nor shall the glowing flame expii'e, 
When dimly burns frail nature's fire; 
Then shall they meet in realms above, 
A heaven of joy, a heaven of love. 

The Grand Marshal then forms the officers and 
members of the new Lodge in front of the Grand 
Master. The Deputy Grand Master addresses the 
Grand Master as follows : 

Most Worshipful : A number of brethren, 
duly instructed in the mysteries of Masonry, 
having assembled together at stated periods, 
for some time past, by virtue of a Dispensation 
granted them for that purpose, do now desire 
to be constituted into a regular Lodge, agreeably 
to the ancient usages and customs of the Fra- 
ternity. 

The records are then presented to the Grand Master 
who examines them, and if found correct, proclaims : 

The records appear to be correct, and are 

approved. Upon due deliberation, the Grand 

Lodge have granted the brethren of this new 

Lodge a Warrant, establishing and confirming 

them in the rights and privileges of a regidarly 

constituted Lodge ; which the G-rand Secretary 

will now read. 

After the Warrant is read, the Grand Master then 
says : 

We shall now proceed, according to ancient 



CONSECEATION OF A LODGE. 123 

usage, to constitute these brethi^en into a regular 
Lodge. 

Whereupon the several officers of the new Lodge 
deliver up their Jewels and badges to their Master, 
who presents them, with his own, to the Deputy Grand 
Master, and he to the Grand Master. 

The Deputy Grand Master presents the Master elect 
to the Grand Master, saying : 

Most Worshipful: I present you Brother 

, whom the members of the Lodge now 

to be constituted have chosen for their Master. 

The Grand Master asks the brethren if they remain 
satisfied with theii* choice. [They bow in token of 
assent.l 

The Master elect then presents, severally, his Wardens 
and other officers, naming them and their respective 
offices. The Grand Master asks the brethren if they 
remain satisfied with each and all of them. [They bow 
as before-l 

The officers and members of the new Lodge form in 
front of the Grand Master ; and the business of Conse- 
cration commences. 

The Grand Master, attended by the Grand Officers, 
form themselves in order around the Lodge — all 



A piece of solemn music is performed while the Lodge 
is uncovered. 

Afer which, the first clause of the consecration prayer 
is rehearsed by the Grand Chaplain, as follows : 

Great Architect of the Universe ! Maker and 

Ruler of all worlds ! deign, from thy celestial 



124 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

temple, from realms of light and glory, to bless 
us in all the purposes of our present assembly ! 
We humbly invoke thee to give us at this, and 
at all times, wisdom in all our doings, strength 
of mind in all our difficulties, and the heauty of 
harmony in all our communications! Permit 
us, thou Author of light and life, great 
Source of love and happiness, to erect this 
Lodge, and now solemnly to consecrate it to the 
honor of thy glory ! 

Response hy the Brethren: As it was in the 
beginning, is now, and ever shall be ; world 
without end. Amen. 

The Deputy Grand Master presents the golden vessel 
of Corn, and the Senior and Junior Grand "Wardens the 
silver vessels of Wine and Oil, to the Grand Master, who 
sprinkles the elements of consecration upon the Lodge. 

The Grand Chaplain then continues: 

Grant Lord our God, that those who are 
now about to be invested with the government 
of this Lodge, may be endowed with wisdom 
to instruct their brethren in all their duties. 
May brotherly love, relief, and truth, always pre- 
vail among the members of this Lodge ; may 
this bond of union continue to strengthen the 
Lodges throughout the world ! 



DEDICATION OF A LODGE. 125 

Bless all our brethren, wherever dispersed ; 
and grant speedy rehef to all who are either 
oppressed or distressed. 

We affectionately commend to thee all the 
members of thy whole family. May they in- 
crease in grace, in the knowledge of thee, and 
in the love of each other. 

Finally : may we finish all our work here 
below with thy approbation ; and then have 
our transition from this earthly abode to thy 
heavenly temple above, there to enjoy hght, 
glory, and bliss, ineffable and eternal ! Amen. 

Response: As it was in the beginning, is 
now, and ever shall be. So mote it be. 



DEDICATION. 

A PIECE of solemn music is performed while the Lodge 
is uncovered. 

The Grand Master then, standing with his hands 
stretched forth over the Lodge, exclaims: 

To the memory of the Holy Saints John, we 
dedicate this Lodge. May every brother 
revere their character and imitate their virtues. 

Response: As it was in the beginning, is 
now, and ever shall be ; world without end. 
Amen. 



126 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

A piece of music is performed while the brethren of 
the new Lodge advance in procession, to salute the 
Grand Officers, with their hands crossed upon their 
breasts, and bomng as they pass. They then take their 
places as they were. 



CONSTITUTION. 

The Grand Master then rises and constitutes the new 
Lodge in the following form, all the brethren standing 
at the same time: 

In the name of the Most Worshipful Grand 
Lodge of Tennessee, I now constitute and form 
you, my brethren, into a regular Lodge of Free 
and Accepted Masons. From henceforth I 
empower you to meet as a regular Lodge, con- 
stituted in conformity to the rites of our Order, 
and the charges of our ancient and honorable 
Fraternity ; and may the Supreme Architect 
of the Universe prosper, direct, and counsel 
you in all your doings. 

Response. So mote it be. Amen. 

The public grand honors are then given by the 
brethren. 



INSTALLATION OF THE OFFICERS OF A LODGE. 



The new Lodge haYing been Consecrated, Dedicated 
and Constituted, it is next reqnii'ed that the officers be 
installed. 

At every election in a Subordinate Lodge, it is 
necessaiy that the officers should be installed. This 
ceremony may be performed by any Past Master. At 
the installation, the Installing Officer appoints some 
Present or Past Master, or if none be present, an old 
well-informed Master Mason to act as Conductor of 
Ceremonies, whose duties will be to present the officers 
elect severally in front of the altar for installation. 

The Jewels of the several officers are collected and 
laid in an orderly manner upon the altar for convenient 
use. 

The Grand Master or Listalling Officer says to his 
Deputy : 

Riglit Worshipful Deputy, have you carefully 
examined the Master elect, and do you find 
him well-skilled in the science of Masonry? 

The Deputy replies : 

Most Worshipful Grand Master, I have care- 
fully examined and so find him.* 

You will then present him at the altar for 
installation. 

* A private examination is understood to precede the installation 
of the Master. 



128 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

The Deputy, taking the Master elect, presents Mm 
at the altar, saying: 

Most Worshipful Grand Master, I present 
my Worthy Brother, A. B., to be installed 
Master of this Lodge. I find him to be of 
good morals, and of great skill, true and trusty; 
and as he is a lover of the Fraternity, I doubt 
not he will discharge his duties with fidelity, 
and with honor. 

The Grand Master then addresses' him : 

Brother : Previous to your investiture, it is 
necessary that you should signify your assent 
to those ancient Charges and Regulations which 
point out the duty of a Master of a Lodge. 

The Grand Master then reads a summary of the 
ancient Charges to the Master elect, as follows: 

I. You agree to be a good man and true, 
and strictly to obey the moral law? 

II. You agree to be a peaceful citizen, and 
cheerfully to conform to the laws of the country 
in which you reside ? 

III. You promise not to be concerned in 
plots or conspiracies against the government, 
but patiently to submit to the law and the 
constituted authorities ? 



INSTALLATION OF LODGE OFFICERS. 129 

IV. You agree to pay a proper respect to 
the civil magistrates, to work diligently, live 
creditably, and act honorably by all men? 

y. You agree to hold in veneration the 
original rulers and patrons of the Order of 
Masonry, and their regular successors, supreme 
and subordinate, according to their stations; 
and to submit to the awards and resolutions of 
your brethren, in Lodge convened, in every case 
consistent with the Constitutions of the Order? 

YI. You agree to avoid private piques and 
quarrels, and to guard against intemperance 
and excess ? 

YII. You agree to be cautious in carriage 
and behavior, courteous to your brethren, and 
faithful to your Lodge ? 

YIII. You promise to respect genuine breth- 
ren, and to discountenance impostors, and all 
dissenters from the original plan of Masonry? 

IX. You agree to promote the general good 
of society, to cultivate the social virtues, and to 
propagate the knowledge of the art? 

X. You promise to pay homage to the Grand 
Master for the time being, and to his officers 
when duly installed; and strictly to conform to 

6* 



130 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

every edict of the Grand Lodge, that is not 
subversive of the principles and ground-work 
of Masonry? 

XI. You admit that it is not in the power of 
any man, or body of men, to make innovations 
in the body of Masonry? 

XII. You promise a regular attendance on the 
committees and communications of the Grand 
Lodge, on receiving proper notice; and to pay 
a proper attention to all the duties of Masonry, 
on convenient occasions? 

XIII. You admit that no new Lodge shall be 
formed without permission of the Grand Lodge; 
and that no countenance be given to any irregu- 
lar Lodge, or to any person clandestinely made 
therein, being contrary to the ancient usages 
of the Order? 

XIY. You admit that no person can be made 
a Mason in, or admitted a member of, any 
regular Lodge, without previous notice, and 
due inquiry into his character? 

XY. You agree that no visitors, shall be 
received into your Lodge without due examina- 
tion, and producing proper vouchers of their 
having been initiated in a regular Lodge ? 

The Grand Master then addresses the Master elect as 
follows: 



INSTALIATION OF LODGE OI^ICEKS. 131 

These are the regulations of Free and Accepted 
Masons. Do you submit to these Charges, and 
promise to support these Regulations, as Masters 
have done in all ages before you? 

The Master having answered in the affirmative, the 
Grand Master thus addresses him : 

Brother A. B., in consequence of your con- 
formity to the Charges and Regulations of the 
Order, you are now to be installed Master of 
this Lodge, in full confidence of your skill and 
capacity to govern the same. 

The Master is then regularly invested with the insig- 
nia of his office, and the furniture and implements of 
his Lodge. The various implements of his profession 
are emblematical of our conduct in life, and upon this 
occasion are carefully enumerated. 

The Holy Writings^ that great light in Masonry, 
will guide you to all truth; it will direct your 
paths to the temple of happiness, and point out 
to you the whole duty of man. 

The Square teaches us to regulate our actions 
by rule and line, and to harmonize our conduct 
by the principles of morality and virtue. 

The Compasses teach us to limit our desires 
in every station, that, rising to eminence by 
merit, we may live respected, and die regretted. 



132 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

The Rule directs that we should punctually 
observe our duty; press forward in the path of 
virtue, and, neither inclining to the right nor to 
the left, in all our actions have eternity in view. 

The Line teaches us the criterion of moral 
rectitude, to avoid dissimulation in conversation 
and action, and to direct our steps in the path 
which leads to immortality. 

The Book of Constitutions you are to search 
at all times. Cause it to be read in your Lodge, 
that none may pretend ignorance of the excel- 
lent precepts it enjoins. 

You now receive in charge the Charter^ by 
the authority of which this Lodge is held. You 
are carefully to preserve the same, and duly 
transmit it to your successor in office. 

You will also receive in charge the By-Laws 
of 3''0ur Lodge, which you are to see carefully 
and punctually executed. 

You will now be solemnly inducted into the 
oriental chair of King Solomon; during the 
performance of this ceremony it is requested 
that all but regularly installed Masters of 
Lodges, and Past Masters, will retire.* 

*If the installation is performed in a public place, or it is other- 
wise impracticable, this as well as other private ceremonies are 
omitted. 



INSTALLATION OF LODGE OEFICERS. 133 

All but actual Masters and Past Masters having re- 
tired, the new Master is invested with the mysteries of 
the Past Master's degree, and solemnly inducted into 
the chair. When the doors are opened, the brethren 
return, and forming an avenue on each side, from the 
west to the east, the new Master being in the chair, the 
Grand Master says : 

Master, behold your Brethren! 
Brethren, behold your Master 1 

The grand honors are then given. "^ 

When the grand honors are given, a procession is 
formed, and the brethren pass around the Lodge, signi- 
fying their respect and obedience by the usual distinct- 
ive marks in the different degrees, during which time 
the following Installation Ode may be sung : 

Mjjbic— Italian Hymn. 

Hail, Masonry divine. 
Glory of ages shine ; 

Long may'st thou reign I 
Where'er thy Lodges stand, 
May they have great command, 
And always grace the land ; 

Thou art divine. 

Great fabrics still arise, 
And grace the azure skies — 

Great are thy schemes ; 
Thy noble orders are 
Matchless beyond compare ; 
No art with thee can share ; 

Thou art divine. 



134 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

Hiram, the arciiitect, 
Did all the craft direct 

How they should build ; 
Sol'mon, great Israel's King, 
Did mighty blessings bring, 
And left us room to sing, 

Hail, Royal Art! 

After the singing of the Ode, the Master calls the 
Lodge to order, and the other officers are respectively 
presented in the same manner as the Master, by the 
Conductor, when the Installing Officer delivers to each 
a short charge, as follows : 

TO THE SENIOR WARDEN. 

Brother CD.: You are elected Senior 
Warden of this Lodge, and are now invested 
with the insignia of your office. 

The Level teaches that we are descended 
from the same stock, partake of the same 
nature, and share the same hope; ^'that we 
are all children of one common father, heirs of 
the same infirmities, and exposed to the same 
vicissitudes." It also reminds us, that al- 
though distinctions among men are necessary 
to preserve subordination, no eminence of sta- 
tion should make us forget that we are brethren, 
and that in the Lodge and our Masonic asso- 
ciations, we are on a level. This implement 
teaches us that a time will come, and the wisest 



INSTALLATION OF LODGE OFFICEES. 135 

knows not how soon, when all distinctions but 
that of goodness shall cease, and death, the 
grand leveler of all human greatness, reduce 
us to the same state. 

Your regular attendance on the stated and 
other meetings of the Lodge is essentially 
necessary. In the absence of the Master, you 
are to govern the Lodge, and in his presence 
assist him in the government of it. Hence you 
will perceive the necessity of preparing your- 
self for the important duties which may devolve 
upon you. Look well to the West, and guard 
with scrupulous care the pillar committed to 
your charge. 

He is conducted to liis proper station. 



TO THE JUNIOR WARDEN. 

Brother E. F. : You are elected Junior 
"Warden of this Lodge, and are now invested 
with the insignia of your office. 

The Plumb admonishes us to walk uprightly 
in our several stations; to do unto others as we 
would have others do unto us; to observe the 
just medium between intemperance and pleas- 
ure, and make our passions and prejudices co- 
incide with the Hne of our duty. 



136 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

In the absence of the Master and Senior 
Warden, upon you devolves the government of 
the Lodge; but to you is especially committed 
the superintendence of the Craft during the 
hours of refreshment; it is, therefore, not only 
necessary that you should be temperate and 
discreet in the indulgence of your own inclina- 
tions, but carefully observe that none of the 
Craft convert the purposes of refreshment into 
intemperance and excess. Looh well to the South, 
Guard with vigilance the pillar committed to 
your charge, that nothing may disturb the har- 
mony of the Lodge, or mar its beauty. 
He is conducted to his proper station. 



TO THE TREASURER. 

Brother G. H. : You have been elected 
Treasurer of this Lodge, and have been in- 
vested with the badge of your office. 

It is your duty to keep a faithful account of 
all moneys received for the use of the Lodge, 
and pay them out to the order of the Worship- 
ful Master, with the consent of the Lodge. 
Your own honor, and the confidence the 
brethren repose in you, will excite to that faith- 



INST ATT. ATIQN OF LODGE OFFICERS. 137 

fuLiess in the discharge of the duties of your 
office which its important nature demands. 
He is conducted to his proper station. 



TO THE SECRETARY. 

Brother I. J. : You have been elected Sec- 
retary of this Lodge, and have been invested 
with the badge of your office. 

It is your duty to keep the records regularly, 
fairly and faithfully ; to receive all moneys and 
pay them into the hands of the Treasurer, and 
to issue summonses at the Master's direction. 
Your love to the Craft and attachment to the 
Lodge will induce you cheerfully to fulfill the 
duties of your office ; and in so doing, you will 
merit the esteem of your brethren. 
He is conducted to his proper station. 



TO THE CHAPLAIN. 

Rev. Brother K. L. : You are appointed 
Chaplain of this Lodge, and are now invested 
with the badge of your office. 

It is your duty to perform those solemn ser- 
vices which we should constantly render to our 
infinite Creator ; and which, when offered by 
one whose holy profession is "to point to 



138 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

heaven and lead the way,'^ may, by refining our 
souls, strengthening our virtues, and purifying 
our minds, prepare us for admission into the 
society of those above, whose happiness will be 
as endless as it is perfect. 



TO THE SENIOR AND JUNIOR DEACONS. 

Brothers M. 'N. and 0. P. : You are ap- 
pointed Deacons of this Lodge. It is your 
duty to attend on the Master and Wardens, 
and to act as their proxies in the active duties 
of the Lodge, such as the reception of candi- 
dates, and the introduction and accommodation 
of visitors. Those columns, the badges of your 
office, I entrust to your care, in full confidence 
of your vigilance and attention. 

They are conducted to their pro]Der stations. 



TO THE STEWARDS. 

Brothers R. S. and T. U. : You are ap- 
pointed Stewards of this Lodge. The duties 
of your office are to assist in the collection of 
all dues ; to keep an account of Lodge ex- 
penses ; to see the tables properly furnished at 
refreshment, r.nd that every brother is suitably 
provided for ; and generally, to assist the Dea- 



INSTALLATION OF LODGE OITICERS. 139 

cons and other officers in performing their re- 
spective duties. Your regular and early at- 
tendance will afford the best proof of your zeaJ 
and attachment to the Lodge. 



TO THE TILER. 

Brother Y. : You are appointed Tiler to this 
Lodge ; the duty assigned you is of the utmost 
importance. Your constant attendance cannot 
be dispensed with but by permission of the 
Master. Be careful, and discharge your duty 
with zeal and vigilance. 

He is conducted to his proper station. 



The Grand Master, or his representative, then ad- 
dresses the officers and members as follows : 

Worshipful Master: Having been chosen 
to preside over this Lodge, you cannot be in- 
sensible to the obligations which devolve upon 
you. The honor, reputation, and usefulness of 
your Lodge will materially depend upon the 
skill and abihty with which you manage its 
concerns. As Master of this Lodge, it will be 
your especial duty to attend to the administra- 
tion of its ceremonies, and preserve the ancient 
Landmarks of the Order now committed to 



140 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

your care — permit no innovation in the prin- 
ciples or rites of the Order. 

Upon all suitable occasions remind the 
brethren, that Masonry is founded upon the 
great moral principle set forth in the sacred 
volume, which we receive as the rule and 
guide of our faith and practice. Exhort them 
to govern themselves by these principles, as 
well with the world at large as with each other. 
Teach them to reverence the three great lights, 
comprehending the Holy Bible, the perfect 
Square, and the extended Compass, the expla- 
nation of which must be familiar to your mind, 
and which include some of the most important 
duties inculcated in our Order. 

As the great object of our Institution is to in- 
culcate sound morality; to make men honest 
and upright, true to their God, and faithful to 
their country, and to unite them by the strong 
bonds of charity, friendship and brotherly love, 
great care should be taken in the admission of 
members, lest by the introduction of bad mate- 
rials the Institution should be corrupted. It 
should be constantly borne in mind, that the 
respectability and usefulness of a Lodge does 
not consist in the number, but in the character 



INSTALLATION OF LODGE OFFICERS. 141 

of its members. As it is the design of Free- 
masomy to create friendship, to make provi- 
sion for the rehef of poor and distressed 
brethren, and protect the widow and the 
orphan; to inculcate reverence for Almighty 
God ; and to encourage the growth of the social 
virtues which dignify and adorn human nature, 
and render mankind peaceful and happy, the 
doors of the Lodge should be closed against the 
idle, the profligate, the intemperate and licen- 
tious. If, unfortunately, unworthy members 
should gain admission, it will be your duty to 
exercise proper discipline to correct abuses, and 
restrain the refractory. Unruly members 
should be reduced to order. The first risings 
of vice should be suppressed, and when kind 
and affectionate admonitions fail, the unworthy 
should be removed as a blot upon the Order. 

Permit me, Worshipful Master, to remark, 
that to preserve the purity of our Order, and 
maintain unimpaired its ancient rites and cere- 
monies, instruction is necessary. The myste- 
ries of the Order are to be unfolded, and the 
moral duties inculcated. The minds of the 
brethren are to be enlarged and informed. 
They are to be frequently reminded of the 



142 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

duties they owe to Almighty God, the giver of 
every good and perfect gift. They must be 
taught to be good men and true ; to be sober, 
industrious, charitable, upright in their deal- 
ings, friendly in their social intercourse, and to 
live in love and peace, having consciences void 
of offence, and characters unspotted from the 
world. Thus taught and thus acting, they will 
convince mankind of the value of the Institution. 
Brothers Senior and Junior Wardens : 
To you are committed the pillars of strength 
and beauty. It is your duty, therefore, to set 
before the brethren who surround these pillars 
the corn of nourishment, the wine of refresh- 
ment, and the oil of joy, in those moral lessons 
our Order inculcates. In your own persons you 
should give evidence that you are governed by 
the principles of the Order, as it is by a due 
regard to them in your own lives and conduct, 
that you can expect obedience in others. Per- 
form the duties of your respective stations, 
" and the blessings of the widow and the father- 
less wiU rest upon you ;" the prayers of tlie 
children of sorrow will cheer your dying hours, 
and you will receive from your Almighty 
Father an inheritance incorruptible and unde 
filed, that fadeth not away. 



A 



INSTALLATION OF LODGE OPFICEES. M3 

Brethren of the Lodge : Such is the nature 
of our Constitution, that some must of neces- 
sity rule and teach, others must submit and 
obey. The officers you have chosen, and who 
have been solemnly installed, are sufficiently 
acquainted with the rules of propriety, and the 
laws of the Institution, as to avoid exceeding 
the powers with which they are entrusted. 
The harmony of the Lodge will materially de- 
pend upon the good order you may preserve in 
the conduct of its business, and the courtesy 
and forbearance you may observe toward each 
other in its deliberations. 

I charge you, then, as you shall answer at 
the great day, that you "walk worthy of the 
vocation by which you are called," and suffer 
no faults, no imperfections on your part, to tar- 
nish the luster of your Jewels, or bring dis- 
credit on the Craft. Recommend Masonry to 
the world by the rectitude of your conduct. 
To this end make yourselves intimately ac- 
quainted with all its principles and obliga- 
tions; and practice in your lives all its duties and 
requirements. Divest yourselves, brethren, 
of that coldness and apathy so fatal to your 
best interests; shun those affections and grovel- 
ing passions which are unworthy of a soul that 



14.4 MASONIC TEXT-BOOR. 

claims affinity with the "Sous of Light," and 
put forth all your energies to grasp whatever 
is noble or elevating in thought, and whatever 
can reveal new and sublime ideas pertaining to 
our lofty destiny. Guard against dissensions 
among yourselves. Let no root of bitterness 
spring up to trouble you. Use all your exer- 
tions to preserve your Lodge pure, and pre- 
vent the introduction of vice or error in their 
thousand forms. If in the frailty of mortahty, 
some individual brother shall be subject to the 
occasional influence of unholy feelings, and shall 
wander into forbidden paths, seek the wanderer 
out, bring him back to the fold, and show him 
the superior loveliness of virtue. 

Finally, brethren, be of one mind, live in 
peace. Let nothing disturb that pure, warm 
and holy love our ritual enjoins. Follow these 
injunctions, and your Lodge will flourish. May 
the tenets of your profession be transmitted 
through your Lodge unimpaired from genera- 
tion to generation. 

The Grand Marshal, or the Conductor of Cere- 
monies, then proclaims : 

In the name of the Most Worshipful Grand 
Lodge of the State of Tennessee, I proclaim the 
Officers of this Lodge duly installed. 



INSTALLATION OP THE OFFICEES OE THE GRAND LODGE. 



At the Lour appointed for the installation of the 
officers of the Grand Lodge, the Installing Officer (who 
should be the retiring Grand Master, the' actual Grand 
Master of another jurisdiction, or a Past Grand Master,) 
will assume the Chair, call to order, and announce the 
business before the Grand Lodge. The offi.cers to be 
installed wiU then vacate their places respectively, and 
substitutes will be appointed for the occasion. 

The Grand Master and the other Grand Officers 
elect, to be instaUed, will be in waiting in an adjoining 
apartment. 

The announcement of the Installing Officer may be in 
the following form: 

Brethren, your Grand Master and other Grand 
Officers for the ensuing year, having been duly 
elected, we are now in readiness to perform the 
ceremony of installation. The R. W. Grand Marshal 
will announce to them that we are waiting to receive 
them. 

The Grand Marshal then retires, and on his return 
reports : 

Most Worshipful : The Grand Master and other 
Grand Officers elect are without, in readiness to be 
instaUed into office, when it is your pleasure to 
receive them. 

7 



146 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

Installing Officer. The E. W. Grand Marshal wii^i 
admit them, and conduct them to the East before 
the altar. 

Should there be objection to the installation of any 
or either of them, it must now be made. 

As they enter the room, the Grand Lodge is called 
up by the Installing Officer in the usual manner and 
remain standing. 

The Grand Marshal conducts them to the altar in 
procession, two and two, in order of rank, the Grand 
Master elect and the Deputy Grand Master being first. 
He then says: 

Most Worshipful : The Grand Officers elect are 
before you, and await your pleasure. I have the 
honor to present to you for installation Brother 
A. B., who has been duly elected Grand Master of 
Masons of the State of Tennessee, for the ensuing 
year. 

Ins. Of. (To the Grand Blaster Elect.) My Brother, 
the exalted station to which the free choice of your 
brethren has called you, involves great responsi- 
bilities, and requires to be inaugurated by solemn 
sanctions. It elevates you to a position from which 
the power and prerogative may depart with the 
expiration of your term of service, but the honor and 
dignity, except by your own act, never. Have you 
been instructed in the secret rites and ceremonies 
appertaining to the high office of Grand Master of 
Masons preparatory to your installation, and by 



IXSTALLATIOX OF GRAND OFEICEES. 147 

wMcli you may acquire and forever retain the 
evidence of your rank among Masons? 

G. 31. Fled. I have not. 

Ins. Of. My Brother, it will be necessary for you 
to retire and receive those instructions from our 
M. W. Past Grand Masters here present, who will 
es€ort you. And as we are now upon the threshold 
of a great and important undertaking, Masonic 
teachings require that we should bow in solemn 
prayer with our E. W. Grand Chaplain. 

Grand Chaplain. Brethren, let us pray. 

The Grand Chaplain may then make an appropriate 
extemporaneous prayer, or use the following: 

Eternal source of Life and Light! We, thine 
unworthy creatures, reverently bow before thee in 
adoration and praise. As when we first saw the light 
at our mystic altar we first implored thy guidance, 
protection, and aid, so now we seek thee for thy 
divine blessing and direction. Li thy might we are 
strong, and without thee, in our best and highest 
estate, we are but frail and feeble beings. We 
humbly implore thy divine favor upon this occasion, 
and upon the Institution in whose services we are 
now engaged. Make it yet more helpful and bene- 
ficial to our race, and inspire all who are connected 
with it with an ardent love to thee, to each other, and 
to every member of the human family. Bless now 
thy servant before thee, who is about to assume a 
new and important relation to his brethren. Give 



148 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

liim wisdom; give him strength; give him love. 
Enable him so to bear rule that he may keep in view 
the best interests of the great brotherhood now about 
to be committed to his charge. Teach him to feel 
that he is about to assume great and trying respoii- 
sibiJities, and enable him so to discharge them as to 
T\dn all hearts. Add thy blessing upon the brethren 
who are to be associated with him in office. May 
they feel a just sense of their accountability to thee, 
and to the Fraternity ; and may they ever be faithful 
and zealous, and assist to uphold the hands of their 
chief in all good deeds. In thee, oh God ! as in the 
days of our apprenticeship, do we put our tiTist. Be 
thou our faithful Friend, Conductor, and Guide, in 
the unseen vicissitudes of life before us, and bring 
us all, at last, to see the Great Light, inaccessible 
and full of glory, in thy presence, where we shall 
behold thee with unclouded vision forever more. 
Amen. 

Response. So mote it be. 

Ins. Of. The Most Worshipful brethren, Past 
Grand Masters present, will now retire with the 
Grand Master and give him the suitable instruction 
in the manner known to them only, preUminary to 
the further ceremonies of installation. Brethren will 
be seated. 

He then calls down, and the Grand Officers elect, other 
than the Grand Master, are provided with seats near 
the altar. The Past Grand Masters retire to some 



INSTALLATIOIS OF GEAXD OFFICERS. 149 

suitable apartment and engage in ceremonies with the 
Grand Master elect, not proper to be written. 

When this is done they return, having previously 
given notice of their a^Dproach by the Grand Marshal. 
Upon their entrance, the Grand Lodge is again called 
up, and after they have arrived near the East, one of 
theii' number says : 

Past Grand Blaster. Most Worshipful, our distin- 
guished brother having been duly instructed by us, 
is now prepared to assume his installation vows. 

Ins. Of. It is well ; and with pleasure do we now 
proceed in our further services. E. W. Grand Mar- 
shall you will conduct our brother to the altar, to 
take upon himself the obligation appertaining to the 
duties of his office. 

The Grand Marshal conducts him to the altar, where 
he kneels, the acting Grand Deacons holding their rods 
crossed over his head. The Installing Officer then 
administers the oath of office, the Grand Master elect 
repeating after him, as follows : 

I, A. B., in the presence of Almighty God, and 
before the Grand Lodge of the State of Tennessee, 
do promise and swear, that, to the best of my ability, 
I wiU faithfully, honestly, and impartially perform 
the duties of Grand Master of Masons in this juris- 
diction during my term of office; and that I wiU 
conform to, and maintain, the constitutions, laws, 
rules, and regulations of the Grand Lodge of the 
State of Tennessee, and the usages and customs of 
Free and Accepted Masons, and at all times enforce 
a strict obedience thereto. So help me God. 



150 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

He then rises, and the Grand Marshal conducts him 
near the chair of the Installing Officer. 

Ins, Of. Most Worshipful Brother — for from hence- 
forth you are entitled thus to be hailed — in inducting 
jou to your Chair of office as a symbol of the com- 
mencement of your government over the Craft, I am 
performing a most solemn duty. By immemorial 
usage and the irrevocable Landmarks of Masonry, 
you are invested sls Grand Master of Masons, with 
powers and prerogatives which are well nigh abso- 
lute. The interests of the Craft, for weal or woe, are 
placed in your hands during your term of office. 
The good resolutions, which I doubt not you have 
formed in your own mind that these powers shall not 
be abused or perverted by you, I would gladly 
strengthen by a word of admonition, which it will 
not become me henceforth to utter. The very con- 
sciousness of the possession of a great power will 
ever make a generous mind cautious and gentle in 
its exercise. To rule has been the lot of many, and 
requires neither strength of intellect, or soundness 
of judgment ; to rule luell has been the fortune of but 
few, and may well be the object of an honorable 
ambition. It is not by the strong arm or the iron 
will, that obedience and order, the chief requisites of 
good government, are secured, but by holding the 
key to the hearts of men. 

The office of Grand Master is of great antiquity 
and respect, and is one of the highest dignities to 
which we may aspire. Its incumbent, to rule well, 



INSTALLATION OF GEAND OITICEES. 151 

should possess and practice several important 
requisites. 

As a man^ lie should be of approved integrity and 
irreproachable morals ; freed from the dominion oi 
hasty temper and iU-governed passions ; of good 
repute in the world ; and practicing, as an example 
to the Craft, the cardinal virtues of Fortitude, Pru- 
dence, Temperance, and Justice. 

As a citizen, he should be loyal to his government, 
obedient to its laws, prompt in the duties he owes 
to society, and a pattern of fidelity in all social and 
domestic relations. 

As a Mason, he should cHng to the old Landmarks, 
and be sternly opposed to their infringement ; be a 
proficient in the laws, language and literatui-e of 
the Fraternity ; be desirous to learn and apt to teach ; 
though not for the time a workman, yet be master of 
the work and qualified to earn his wages ; be prompt 
to aid and relieve, and slow to demand it ; be ever 
mindful, that though elevated for a time above his 
fellows, that he is elevated hy them, and that he is 
yet a Craftsman, more sacredly bound by a Crafts- 
man's obligation ; and that he should cultivate 
everywhere, and at aU times, the golden tenets of 
Brotherly Love, EeHef and Truth. 

As an officer, he should remember, first of aU, that 
he is an individual Mason, sharing in that respect a 
common lot with his brethren, and therefore inter- 
ested in the weKare of each and all ; be devoid of 
undue ostentation and haughty overbearing ; be ac- 



152 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

cessible to all ; cultivating the closest friendship and 
the most unlimited confidence with his associate 
officers ; be eager to take counsel with his brethren, 
and ready to give it ; be patient in investigation and 
hearing ; be deliberate in judgment ; be prompt in 
execution ; be forbearing long and much with evil- 
doers; be ready to reward good; be devoid of 
favoritism and wholly impartial; be watchful over 
the treasury ; having an eagle eye upon every por- 
tion of his jurisdiction ; and breasting over the rest- 
less spirit of innovation. 

Such are some of the most important qualifications 
which a Grand Master should possess, and the lead- 
ing errors which he should avoid. It may be that 
most, if not all, of your predecessors have failed to 
reach this standard ; but it is attainable ; and be it 
your purpose to reach it, and be a bright and shining 
example to those who shall come after you! 

It now but remains for me to clothe you with the 
external insignia of your rank and authority. 

I now, with great pleasure, invest you with this 
Jewel of your office, whose symbolic meaning will 
now have a new and striking significance to you. 
{Presents the Jewel.) 

I also present you with this Gavel as the potent 
emblem of Masonic power, which, in your hands, 
should never be sounded in vain. (Presents tJw 
Gavel.) 

I now surrender to you this seat of authority. 
(Plaxes Mm in th£ Chair.) 



INSTALLATION OF GEAND OFFICERS. 153 

And render you this, the first act of homage due 
to you as Grand Master. 

The Grand Master having been covered on taking 
the Chair, the Instalhng officer uncovers and bows 
very low. 

Ins. Of. I now hail, salute and proclaim you 
Grand Master of Masons of the State of Tennessee ! 
Brethren, behold your Grand Master ! 

Senior Grand Warden. Brethren, behold our 
Grand Master ! 

Junior Grand Warden. Brethren, behold our Grand 
Master ! 

The Brethren with their arms crossed, ***** j 
and then all, under the direction of the Instalhng officer, 
salute with the public grand honors. 

The retmng Grand Master may then address his 
newly installed successor and brethren, and the Grand 
Master may, if he chooses, also address the Grand 
Lodge. If he does not wish to do so, he may call down, 
and the brethren remain seated during the remainder 
of installation, except as called up during the obU- 
gations. 

It will be proper for the Grand Master here to 
announce the names of the appointed officers, that they 
may be installed with the rest. 

In case of the re-election of a Grand Master, the 
preceding ceremony will be omitted, except that he be 
conducted near the Chair, the Charge given him, 
invested with the Jewel and Gavel, inducted and 
saluted as above directed. So in the case of any other 
officer being re-elected, he will be invested, and given 
the Charge only. 

7* 



154 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

The Grand Master then proceeds with the installation 
of the remaining officers, or he may place the Installing 
Officer again in the Chair, delivering him, without cere- 
mony, the Gavel and Jewel. In designating the 
officers hereafter, we will suppose the last to have been 
done. 

Ins. Of. R. W. Grand Marshal, you wiU now 
present the Deputy Grand Master elect for instal- 
lation. 

Grand Marshal. Most Worshipful, I have the 
pleasure to present to you for installation. Brother 
C. D., who has been duly elected to the office of 
Deputy Grand Master. 

The foregoing address of the Installing Officer, and 
presentation by the Grand Marshal, may be used for all 
the remaining officers, simply changing the name and 
title of the officer. It may also be used for the Grand 
Master when re-elected. The order of the Installing 
Officer, next following, will be omitted when the officer 
to be installed has been re-elected. 

Ins. Of. R. W. Grand Marshal, you wiU conduct 
our brother to the altar to take upon himself the 
obligation appertaining to the duties of his office. 

The Grand Marshal conducts him to the altar, when 
he kneels, and is attended by the Grand Deacons, as in 
the case of the Grand Master, and takes the same obli- 
gation, with the change of name and designation of 
office. 

Ifis. Of. R. W. Brother, you have not been an 
inattentive observer of the ceremony of installing the 



INSTALLATION OF GEAND OFFICEKS. 155 

M. W. Grand Master, for you are aware that in case 
of his incapacity to act in contingencies mentioned 
in our constitutions, you succeed to his duties and 
p]'erogatives, as you do also when acting as his sub- 
stitute in any matters specially delegated to you. 
Tour office, therefore, is one of great dignity and 
importance, and it was in view of these considera- 
tions that your brethren selected you to fill it. 
Treasure up, therefore, the suggestions made to the 
M. W. Grand Master, for you know not how soon 
they may have a personal apphcation to you ; and 
remember, also, that usage, as well as our particular 
regulations, have placed you in most intimate and 
confidential relations to him, as supporter and 
counselor. 

I now, with pleasure, proceed to invest you with 
your Jewel of office, (gives it,) and proclaim you 
Deputy Grand Master of Masons of the State of 
Tennessee. You will now be seated in your place, 
which is at the right hand of the M. W. Grand 
Master. 

Before he is seated, the Installing Officer calls up the 
Grand Lodge, and salutes the Deputy Grand Master 
with the gTand honors. 

The others of the first six elective Grand Officers are 
presented and obligated in like manner as the Deputy 
Grand Master, but without being saluted with the 
grand honors. 

The Charges to the remaining officers installed, 
(which may be "varied at the pleasure of the Installing 
Officer, as occasion requires,) are as follows : 



156 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

TO THE SENIOR GRAND WARDEN. 

Right Worshipful Brother, the position which you 
occupy in the Grand Lodge and among the Fra- 
ternity, is one of no little importance. In the Grand 
Lodge, to control practically, under the direction of 
the Grand Master, the admission of all visitors; to 
announce specially those who are of rank or eminence, 
and to aid in the preservation of order, and at all 
times to render counsel and advice to the Grand 
Master, are high and responsible duties, requiring 
circumspection, vigilance and reflection; but when 
to these is superadded the more onerous labor, in 
conjunction with the Junior Grand "Warden, of dili- 
gently preserving the ancient Landmarks throughout 
the jurisdiction, it then becomes a trust of deep 
moment to the weKare of the Craft. Your fitness for 
the discharge of such a trust undoubtedly led to 
your selection for the office by your brethren, and it 
will be your duty and pleasure so to act as to justify 
their confidence. 

Li investing you with the Jewel of your office, and 
directing you to the place of your immediate official 
action, in the West, I am performing a grateful duty. 

TO THE JUNIOR GRAND WARDEN. 
Right Worshipful Brother, as the duties of your 
office and the qualifications for it are almost identi- 
cal with those of the Senior Grand Warden, except 
as it respects the introduction of visitors, I will only 
add to the Charge given to that officer, that you be 



INSTALLATION OF GRAND OFFICERS. 157 

equally vigilant and cii-cnmspect, not only at your 
station in the Grand Lodge, but in the broader field 
of action without, dividing with him his labors, and 
taking due care that the great object of your united 
solicitude shall remain inviolate. 

Accept the Jewel of your ojB&ce, and repair to the 
South, being ever watchful, whether in labor or at 
refreshment, that the high tivelve of observation do 
not find you with your work, and that of the Craft 
you superintend, unperformed. 

TO THE GRAND TREASURER. 

Bight "Worshipful Brother, in intrusting you with 
the books and funds of the Grand Lodge, as apper- 
taining to your office, I am but their organ in placing 
them in your possession, as one well quaUfied to keep 
and manage them, as your past integrity, accui'acy, 
and prompt business habits testify, an appreciation 
of which has been evinced by their choice of you as 
Grand Treasurer. 

The Keys, forming the Jewel of your office, have a 
twofold significance. They are instruments to bind 
as well as to loose ; to make fast as well as to open. 
They wiU never, I am confident, be used by you in 
any other manner than the consitutions, laws, rules, 
and regulations of the Grand Lodge shall direct. 

TO THE GRAND SECRETARY. 
Eight "Worshipful Brother, usage as well as positive 
enactments from time to time have rendered the 



158 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

duties of the office of Grand Secretary more onerous 
and varied than that of any other officer. Brought 
by his official position more immediately into com- 
munication with the whole body of the Fraternity, it 
is requisite that he should possess ability, skill, 
and industry, to meet the various demands upon him. 
Placed in a position where he holds almost constant 
correspondence with our Masonic brethren of every 
State and country, upon him devolves, in a large 
degree, the good name and credit of the Masonic 
family of this State. The Fraternity should enable 
him to maintain it ; he should strive that it be main- 
tained. Courtesy and patience are to be elements in 
his manners and character. Vigilance and fidelity 
must also be necessary quahties. 

Our constitutions, my brother, point out to you 
fully the duties of your office, and I will not recapit- 
ulate them. Your capabiHty for their prompt and 
faithful execution has induced your brethren to con- 
fide this trust to you, and I feel assured that it is 
well placed. 

In investing you with your official Jewel, the 
Pens, I am persuaded that they will make an endear- 
ing record not only to your praise, but to the welfare 
of a Craft so largely dependent upon your experience 
and integrity. 

TO THE GRAND CHAPLAIN. 

Eeverend and Right Worshipful Brother, that 
Holy Book, which is the chart and text-book of your 



INSTALLATION OF GKAND OFFICEES. 159 

sacred calling, is also the great Kglit of Masonry, and 
forever sheds its benignant rays upon every lawful 
assemblage of Free and Accepted Masons. Teach 
us from its Hfe-giving precepts; intercede for us with 
that Divine Majesty which it so fully reveals and 
unfolds to us ; and warn us by its lessons of infinite 
wisdom and truth, and you will have faithfully per- 
formed youi' sacred functions, and fulfilled your 
important trust. 

It is fitting that an emblem of the sacred volume 
should be the Jewel of your office, with which I now 
invest you. 

TO THE GRAND DEACONS. 

Right Worshipful Brothers, as messengers of the 
Grand Officers, and as useful assistants in our cere- 
monies, your respective official positions are of very 
great value and importance to the comfort and good 
order of the Grand Lodge. Yigilance and zeal are 
necessary requisites of your offices, and we know that 
you possess them. 

As Senior and Junior Grand Deacons of this Grand 
Lodge, you are now invested with the Jewels of office, 
together with these rods as tokens of your authority. 

TO THE GRAND MARSHAL. 

Right Worshipful Brother, the duties of your office 
require energy, activity, and quickness of perception. 
The good order of the Fraternity, in its general 
assemblies and processions, depends upon your care, 
skill, and assiduity. Possessing these qualifications. 



160 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

you have been appointed Grand Marshal, and I now 
with pleasure, install you into office, and invest you 
with your appropriate Jewel. It denotes command, 
as the organ of the Grand Master, to whom you will 
be near at hand to execute his orders. 

TO THE GRAND SWORD-BEARER. 
Eight Worshipful Brother, the Sword which you 
bear is the time-honored symbol of Justice and 
Authority. It reminds the beholder of the dignity 
of the body whose emblem it is. It is also the 
guardian and protector of the standard of the Grand 
Lodge. Be ever faithful to your trust. Let this 
Jewel of your office remind you of its nature. 

TO THE GRAND PURSUIVANT. 
Worshipful Brother, you are to act as the messen- 
ger of the Grand Lodge, and the herald to announce 
the approach of visitors and strangers. In so doing, 
possess yourself of the necessary information to 
announce their rank and position properly, and ex- 
ercise a sound discretion, so as not to interfere with 
its labors. Be cautious and vigilant, that no im- 
proper person may gain admittance. You also have 
in your keeping the clothing and Jewels of the Grand 
Officers, which you should be careful to keep in a 
good condition, and neatly and orderly arranged for 
use at all times. Receive your emblem of office and 
repair to your station inside the door. 



INSTALLATION OE GEAND OFFICEES. 161 

TO THE GRAND STEWARDS. 

Eight Worshipful Brothers, in olden times your 
province was to superintend and provide for the 
festivals of the Craft, and that duty still remains to 
you, although there is rarely occasion for its exercise. 
But we are taught that " it is better to go to the 
house of mourning, than to the house of feasting,' 
and hence on you has been appropriately imposed 
the dispensation of our beneficent charities. That 
it is a grateful duty aU hearts testify, and we know 
that yours most fully respond to it. Receive the 
Jewels of your office, together with the white rods. 

TO THE GRAND TILER. 

Worshipful Brother, the importance of the duties 
of your place cannot be overrated. Care and watch- 
fulness are indispensably requisite, and in all cases, 
unless thoroughly satisfied with the character and 
identity of those desiring admittance, let your doubts 
prevail. Ours is a sanctuary, entrusted to you faith- 
fully and vigilantly to guard, and you have always at 
hand the means of being fully satisfied. Irreparable 
injury might result from a negligent or careless dis- 
charge of your duty. Tour station is ever outside 
the door, and to which you wiU now repair with this 
Jewel, and also with this implement of your office. 
( Giving a Sword,) 

The several officers being now duly installed, the 
Installing Officer will retire, after surrendering the 
Jewel and Gkvel to the Grand Master. It may be 



162 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

proper and expedient, before doing so, to have an ap- 
propriate Ode or piece of music. 

Grand Blaster. Right Worshipful Grand Marshal, 
I now declare the several officers of the Most 
Worshipful Grand Lodge of the State of Tennessee 
duly installed into office, for the ensuing year, in 
AMPLE FORM. You will cause proclamation to be 
made in the South, West and East. 

The Junior Grand Deacon proclaims in the South, 
the Senior Grand Deacon in the West, and the Grand 
Marshal in the East, each as follows, the Grand Lodge 
being called up : 

By order of the Most Worshipful Grand Master, 
and by authority of the Most Worshipful Grand 
Lodge of the Free and Accepted Masons of the State 
of Tennessee, I proclaim that its Grand officers are 
now duly installed in Ample Form. 

Response. So mote it be. 

The Grand Lodge is called down. 



LAYING FOUNDATION STONES OE PUBUC STEUCTUEKS. 



This ceremony should be conducted by the Grand 
Master, or the Deputy Grand Master ; however, when 
neither can attend, the Grand Master should appoint 
some capable Past Master to conduct it. The Lodge is 
opened by the Grand Master, and the rules for regu- 
lating the procession are read — the necessary cautions 
are given, and the Lodge called to refreshment, after 
which the procession is formed and proceeds to tho 
place appointed in the following order : 
Tiler, with drawn sword; 
Stewards, with rods; 
Entered Apprentices; 
Fellow Crafts; 
Master Masons; 
Two Deacons, with rods; 
Secretary and Treasurer; 
Past Wardens; 
Senior and Junior Wardens; 
Past Masters; 
Mark Masters; 
M. E. Masters; 
Royal Arch Masons; 
Knights Templar; 
Two Stewards vdth white rods; 
Principal Architect, with Square, Level and Plumb; 
Bible, Square and Compasses, carried by an Acting or 
Past Master, supported by two Stewards; 
Chaplains; 



164: MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

The Five Orders of Architecture ; 

Past Grand Wardens; 

Past Deputy Grand Masters; 

Chief Magistrate and Civil Officers of the place, (if the 

building to be erected be for public purposes;) 
Junior Grand Warden, carrying the silver vessel with 

Oil; 
Senior Grand Warden, carrying the silver vessel with 

Wine; 

Deputy Grand Master, carrying the golden vessel with 

Corn; 

Master of the oldest Lodge, or oldest Past Master, 

carrying the Book of Constitutions; 

Grand Master, 

Supported by two Deacons, with rods; 

Grand Sword Bearer, with drawn sword. 

A triumphal arch is usually erected at the place where 

the ceremony is to be performed. 

The procession arriving at the arch, opens to the 
right and left, and uncovering, the Grand Master and 
his officers pass through the lines to the platform, while 
the rest of the brethren surround the platform, forming 
a hollow square. 

The Grand Master commands silence and announces 
the purposes of the occasion, when the following, or 
some other appropriate. Ode is sung : 

Music — Ride Britannia, 
When earth's foundation first was laid, 

By the Almighty Artist's hand; 
'IVas then our perfect, our perfect laws were made. 
Established by His strict command. 

Hail ! mysterious. Hail, glorious Masonry I 
That makes us ever great and free. 



LAYING FOUNDATION STONES. 165 

In vain mankind for shelter sought, 
In vain from place to place did roam, 

Until from heaven, from heaven he was taught 
To plan, to build, to fix his home. 
Hail! mysterious, etc. 

Illustrious hence we date our Art, 

Which now in beauteous piles appear. 

And shall to endless, to endless time impart. 
How worthy and how great we are. 
Hail! mysterious, etc. 

Nor we less fam'd for every tie. 

By which the human thought is bound; 

Love, truth and friendship, and friendship socially, 
Unite our hearts and hands around. 
Hail! mysterious, etc. 

Our actions still by Virtue blest. 

And to our precepts ever true. 
The world admiring, admiring shall request 

To learn, and our bright paths pursue. 
Hail! mysterious, etc. 

If the building to be erected be one for public pur- 
poses, for example, a Church, a Court-house, etc., the 
Chairman of the Board of Commissioners appointed for 
its erection will briefly address the Grand Master, stat- 
ing the purposes for which the building is designed, 
and requesting that the corner-stone be laid according 
to the ancient forms and ceremonies of the Craft. If 
the building be intended for Masonic purposes, the ad- 
dress will be varied according to circumstances. 

The following or some other suitable prayer is then 
offered by the Grand Chaplain : 



166 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

PRAYER. 

Almighty God ! Creator and upholder of the 
Universe ! who from primeval nothingness 
didst first call chaos into order ; on whom 
eternity hath its foundations! Of hght and 
life, of harmony and joy, sole origin ; All 
heauty, strength and wisdom thine ! Thou, Lord, 
in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the 
earth, and the heavens are the work of thy 
hands. Thy light and life, in their wide pleni- 
tude pervading worlds, have reached our 
bosoms. We are, God! and surely thou 
must be ! As children of thy creation, having 
the germ and image of our Father's mind, we 
too create and make, plan and mould. In 
thee is our wisdom; in thee is our might! Oh 
thou Eternal God! without whom nothing is 
holy, we invoke thy blessing upon our present 
work. Protect from every danger the Hfe and 
limb, the health and strength, of all who may 
be engaged in this building. May the Master,. 
Fellow-Crafts, and Apprentices, be directed by 
thy most gracious favor, and furthered with 
thy continual help! May the structure of 
which this is typical be cemented and adorned, 
completed and preserved, by those good offices 



LAYING FOUNDATION STONES. 167 

and kind affections which he requires who will 
lay judgment to the line and righteousness to 
the plummet. From this corner-stone, "well 
tried, true and trusty," may the good work 
advance in peace and harmony, till all worthy 
brethren shall bring forth the head stone with 
shouting, crying, Grace and peace be unto it. 
And to thy holy name be all honor and praise, 
now and forever. Amen. 

Response: So mote it be. 

After the prayer, the following or some other suitable 
Ode will be sung : 

Great Architect of Earth and Heaven 

By time nor space confined, 
Enlarge our love to comprehend 

Our brethren, all mankind. 

"Where'er we are, whate'er we do, 

Thy presence let us own; 
Thine eye, all-seeing, marks our deeds. 

To thee all thoughts are known. 

While nature's works and science' laws 

We labor to reveal, 
O I be our duty done to Thee 

With fervency and zeal. 

With faith our guide and humble hope, 

Warm charity and love, 
May all at last be raised to share 

Thy perfect light above. 



168 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

At the conclusion of the hymn, the stone will be 
raised up under the direction of the Principal Archi- 
tect. An engraved plate, with an appropriate inscrip- 
tion, and various coins and medals of the year, are then 
deposited by the Grand Master, or by the Grand 
Treasurer, by his direction, during which solemn music 
will be introduced. 

On depositing the plate and coins, the Grand Master 
will say : 

According to the ancient custom of our 
Order, I now deposit under this stone this 
plate, (or this scroll, or inscrijotion,) and these 
coins bearing date of the present year. Long 
may they be preserved, and when ages upon 
ages shall have passed away, may this build- 
ing be unimpaired, and the memorials which 
have now been deposited declare the purposes 
for which it was designed. 

The Principal Architect will then present the Grand 
Master with the Flumh, Square and Level, saying : 

Most Worshipful : The necessary prepara- 
tions having been made for laying the founda- 
tion stone of this edifice, I present you th 
Plumb, Square and Level, those useful imple- 
ments of the Craft, by which you will be able 
to ascertain that the materials have been 
properly prepared, and the stone you are about 
to lay '^ well fonned, true and trusty ^ 



LAYING FOUNDATION STONES. 169 

The Grand Master hands the Square to the Deputy 
Grand Master, the Level to the Senior Grand "Warden, 
and the Plumb to the Junior Grand "Warden, and ad- 
dresses those Officers as lollowb ; 

Ghrand Master. Right Worshipful Deputy 
Grand Master, what is the proper Jewel of 
your ofl&ce? 

Deputy Grand Master. The Square. 

G. M. What are its moral and Masonic uses? 

D. G. M. To square our actions by the 
Square of Yirtue, and prove our work. 

G. M. Apply the implement of your office 
to that portion of the foundation-stone that 
needs to be proved, and make report. 

The Deputy applies the Square to the stone and says : 

I). G. M. Most Worshipful, I find the stone 
to be square. The Craftsmen have performed 
their duty. 

G. M. Right Worshipful Senior G-rand 
Warden, what is the Jewel of your office ? 

Senior Grand Warden. The Level.. 

G. M. What is its Masonic use ? 

8. G. W. Morally, it reminds us of equality, 
and its use is to prove horizontals. 

G. M. Apply the implement of your office 

to the foundation-stone, and make report. 

This is done. 

8 



170 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

S. G. W, Most Worshipful, I find the stone 
to be level. The Craftsmen have performed 
their duty. 

O. M. Right Worshipful Junior Grand 
Warden, what is the proper Jewel of your 
office? 

Junior Grand Warden. The Plumb. 

G. M. What is its Masonic use ? 

J. G. W. Morally, it teaches rectitude of 
conduct, and we use it to try perpendiculars. 

G. M. Apply the implement of your office 
to the several edges of the foundation-stone, 
and make report. 
This is complied with. 

J. G. W. Most Worshipful, I find the stone 
is plumb. The Craftsmen have performed 
their duty. 

G. M. This corner-stone has been tested by 
the proper implements of Masonry. I find 
that the Craftsmen have skillfully and faith- 
fully performed their duty, and I do declare 
the stone to be well formed, true and trusty, 
and correctly laid, according to the rules of our 
ancient Craft. 

Let the elements of consecration naw be 
presented. 



LAYING ^JUXDATION STONES. 171 

The Deputy Grand Master will then present to the 
Grand Master the vessels containing Corn, Wine and 
Oil, saying: 

Most Worshipful: I present you, to be 
used on this occasion according to ancient cus- 
tom, these vessels containing Corn, Wine and 
Oil, the emblems of nourishment, refreshment 
and joy. 

The Grand Master will then say : 

Corn, Wine and Oil, seem to have been 
regarded by the ancients, Jews as well as Gen- 
tiles, Christians as well as heathens, as the 
emblems of national prosperity — the essential 
elements of sustenance and domestic comfort. 
In this light, frequent allusions are made to them 
in the sacred writings and in profane history, 
and hence, probably, originated the custom of 
employing them in laying the corner stones of 
temples and other pubhc buildings, and in their 
dedication and consecration. " Wine,'^ saith 
the Psalmist, " maketh glad the heart of man ; 
oil maketh his face to shine ; and bread 
strengtheneth man's heart." Although like 
other customs, the actual origin of the use of 
these emblems in laying the foundation stones 
of public buildings, and in the dedication of 



172 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

sacred and Masonic edifices, has been lost in the 
lapse of ages, it has been practiced from time 
immemorial by the Masonic Fraternity. 

In conformity with this custom, I now pour 
out this vessel of Corn, as emblematic of that 
nourishment by which human life is sustained. 

I also pour out this vessel of Wine, as em- 
blematic of that refreshment and gladness of 
heart of which the Psalmist speaks, and which 
is the result of its moderate and temperate use. 

And as Jacob anointed with oil the stone 
upon which his head rested, when, in a dream, 
he saw the ladder ascending from earth to 
heaven, and as Moses poured oil on the taber- 
nacle, so do I anoint this corner stone with Oil, 
and pray that the blessing of God may rest 
upon it, and that the copestone may be brought 
forth with rejoicing. 

This part of the ceremony having been performed, 
the Grand Master will say : 

May the all bounteous author of Nature, the 
Supreme and ever living God, bless the inhab- 
itants of this place with all the necessaries, 
comforts and conveniences of Hfe — assist in the 
erection and completion of this building — pro- 
tect the workmen against every accident, and 



LAYING FOUNDATION STONES. 173 

long preserve frora decay the structure which 
will here arise. And may he grant to us in 
needful supply, the Corn of nourishment^ the Wine 
of refreshment, and the Oil of joy ! 
Response. So mote it be. 

The Grand Master strikes the stone three times with "^- \ 

his Oavel, and the pubHc grand honors are given. w.--»-< ^ (?:.-. 

The Grand Master then dehvers over to the ArchitecT*"^ 
the implements of architecture, saying: 

Worthy Sir, (or Brother,) having thus, as 
Grand Master of Masons, laid the foundation 
stone of this structure, I now deliver these 
implements of your profession into your hands, 
intrusting you with the superintendence and 
direction of the work, having full confidence in 
your skill and capacity to conduct the same. 

The Grand Master ascends the platform, when an 
appropriate anthem is sung. 

The Grand Master then addresses the assembly as 
follows: 

Men and brethren here assembled, be it 

known unto you, that we be lawful Masons, 

true and faithful to the laws of our country, and 

engaged, by solemn obligations, to fear God, 

the Great Architect of the Universe, We have 

among us, concealed from the eyes of all men, 

secrets which cannot be divulged, and which 



174 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

have never been found out ; but these secrets 
are lawful and honorable, and not repugnant 
to the laws of God or man. They were 
intrusted, in peace and honor, to the Masons of 
ancient times, and having been faithfully trans- 
mitted to us, it is our duty to convey them un- 
impaired to the latest posterity. Unless our 
Craft were good and our calling honorable, we 
should not have lasted for so many centuries, 
uor should we have been honored with the 
patronage of so many illustrious men in all ages, 
who have ever shown themselves ready to pro- 
mote our interests and defend us from all 
adversaries. We are assembled here to-day in 
the face of you all, to build a house, which we 
pray God may deserve to prosper, by becoming 
a place of concourse for good men, and pro- 
moting harmony and brotherly love throughout 
the world, till time shall be no more. 

Response, So mote it be. Amen. 

Here the Grand Master, or some other person pre- 
viously selected, may deliver an Oration appropriate to 
the occasion. 

A benediction is then pronounced by the Grand 
Chaplain ; after which the procession returns in the 
same order to the place whence it set out, and the Lodge 
is closed with the usual formalities. 



DEDICATION OF MASONIC HALLS. 



This ceremony should be conducted by the Grand 
MaS'ter, or the Deputy-Grand Master, or some capable 
Past Master, appointed by the Grand Master. A Lodge 
should be opened by the Grand Master in a convenient 
room, near to the place where the ceremony is to be 
performed — the order of procession read — the necessary 
cautions given, and then a procession formed in the 
order laid down heretofore, and proceed to the Hall to 
be dedicated, and upon the arrival of the front of the 
procession at the door, they halt, open to the right and 
left, and face inward, while the Grand Master and others 
in succession, pass through and enter. The music con- 
tinues while the procession marches three times around 
the Hall. The Grand Officers then repair to their 
stations respectively. The Lodge, which is carried in the 
procession, (covered with white linen,) by four brethren 
immediately in front of Book of Constitutions, is then 
placed in front of the altar, toward the East, and the 
gold and silver vessels and lights are placed around it. 
The arrangements being completed, the following or 
some other appropriate Ode is sung: 
AiB — Duke Street L. M. 



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Mas - ter Supreme ! ac • cept our praise * 



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MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 



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Still bless this con - se - crat - ed band ; 



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May Faith, Hope, Charity, divine, 
Here hold their undivided reign; 

Friendship and harmony combine 
To soothe our cares, to banish pain. 



May pity dwell within each breast, 
Belief attend the suffering poor; 

Thousands by this, our Lodge, be blest, 
Till worth, distress'd shall want no more. 



DEDICATION OF MASONIC HALLS. 177 

The Master of the Lodge to which the hall to be 
dedicated belongs, then rises, and addresses the Grand 
Master as follows: 

Most Worshipful : The brethren of 

Lodge, being animated with a desire to promote 

the honor and interest of the Craft, have 

erected a Masonic Hall, for their convenience 

and accommodation. They are desirous that 

the same should be examined by the Most 

Worshipful Grrand Lodge ; and if it should meet 

their approbation, that it be solemnly dedicated 

to Masonic purposes, agreeably to ancient form 

and usage. 

The Grand Architect then addresses the Grand Master 
as follows: 

Most Worshipful : Having been entrusted 

with the superintendence and management of 

the workmen employed in the construction of 

this edifice ; and having, according to the best 

of my ability, accomplished the task assigned 

me, I now return my thanks for the honor of 

this appointment, and beg leave to surrender 

up the implements which were committed to 

my care, when the foundation of this fabric was 

laid, {presenting to the Orand Master the Square ^ 

Level and Plumb,) humbly hoping, that the 

exertions which have been made on this occasion^, 
8=^ 



178 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

will be crowned with your approbation, and 
that of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge. 

To which the Grand Master replies: 

Brother Architect: The skill and fidelity 
displayed in the execution of the trust reposed 
in you, at the commencement of this under- 
taking, have secured the entire approbation of 
the Grand Lodge ; and they sincerely pray, that 
this edifice may continue a lasting monument 
of the taste, spirit, and liberality of its founders. 

The Deputy Grand Master then rises and says: 

Most Worshipful: The hall in which we 

are now assembled, and the plan upon which it 

has been constructed, having met with your 

approbation, it is the desire of the Fraternity 

that it should be now dedicated, according to 

ancient form and usage. 

The Lodge is then uncovered, and a processioD is 
made around it in the following form, during which 
solemn music is played: 

Grand Tiler, with drawn sword; 

Grand Sword Bearer; 

Grand Standard Bearer; 

A Past Master, with a light; 

A Past Master, with Bible, Square and Compasses, on a 

velvet cushion; 

Two Past Masters, each with a light. 

Grand Secretary and Treasurer; 



DEDICATION OF MASONIC HALLS. 179 

Grand Junior Warden, with vessel of Corn; 

Grand Senior Warden, with vessel of Wine; 

Deputy Grand Master, with vessel of Oil; 

Grand IVIaster; 

Two Stewards, with rods. 

When the procession arrives at the East, it halts, the 
music ceases, and the Grand Chaplain makes the fol- 
lowing 

CONSECBATION PRAYER : 

Almighty and ever glorious and gracious 
Lord God, Creator of all things, and Governor 
of everything thou hast made, mercifully look 
upon thy servants, now assembled in thy name 
and in thy presence, and bless and prosper all 
our works begun, continued and ended in thee. 
Graciously bestow upon us Wisdom in all our 
doings; Strength of mind in all our difficulties, 
and the Beauty of harmony and hoHness in all 
our communications and work. Let Faith be 
the foundation of our Hope, and Charity the 
fruit of our obedience to thy revealed will. 

May all the proper work of our Institution 
that may be done in this house be such as thy 
wisdom may approve and thy goodness prosper. 
And finally, graciously be pleased, thou Sov- 
ereign Architect of the Universe, to bless the 
Craft wheresoever dispersed, and make them 



180 



MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 



true and faithful to thee, to their neighbor, and 
to themselves. And when the time of our 
labor is drawing near to an end, and the pillar 
of our strength is declining to the ground, gra- 
ciously enable us to pass through the valley oi 
the shadow of death, supported by thy rod and 
thy staff, to those mansions beyond the skies 
where love, and peace, and joy forever reign 
before thy throne. Amen. 
Response. So mote it be. 

All the other brethren keep their places, and assist in 
singing the Ode, which continues during the procession, 
excepting only at the intervals of dedication. 



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182 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

The first procession being made around the Lodge, 
the Grand Master having reached the East, the Grand 
Junior Warden presents the vessel of Corn to the 
Grand Master, saying: 

Most Worshipful: In the dedication of 
Masonic- Halls, it has been of immemorial cus- 
tom to pour Corn upon the Lodge as an emblem 
of nourishment. I, therefore, present you this 
vessel of Corn, to be employed by you according 
to ancient usage. 

The Grand Master, then striking thrice with his 
mallet, pours the Corn upon the Lodge, saying: 

In the name of the Great Jehoyah, to whom 

be all honor and glory, I do solemnly dedicate 

this hall to Freemasonry. 

The Grand honors are given. 

Bring with thee Yirtue! brightest maid; 
Bring Love, bring Truth, bring Friendship here; 
While social mirth shall lend her aid. 
To soothe the wrinkled brow of care. 

The second procession is then made around the 
Lodge, and the Senior Grand Warden presents thf^ 
vessel of Wine to the Grand Master, saying: 

Most Worshipful: Wine, the emblem of 
refreshment, having been used by our ancient 
brethren in the dedication and consecration of 
their Lodges, I present you this vessel of Wine, 
to be used on the present occasion according to 
ancient Masonic form. 



DEDICATION OF MASONIC HALLS. 183 

The Grand Master then sprinkles the Wine upon the 
Lodge, saying: 

In memory of the Holy Saints John, I do 

solemnly dedicate this hall to Virtue. 

The grand honors are twice repeated. 

Bring Chaeity! with goodness crowned. 
Encircled in thy heavenly robe ! 
Diffuse thy blessings all around, 
To every corner of the Globe ! 

The third procession is then made around the Lodge, 
and the Deputy Grand Master presents the vessel of 
Oil to the Grand Master, saying : 

Most Worshipful: I present you, to be 
used according to ancient custom, this vessel of 
Oil, an emblem of that joy which should ani- 
mate every bosom on the completion of every 
important undertaking. 

The Grand Master then sprinkles the Oil upon the 
Lodge, saying: 

In the name of the whole Fraternity, I 
do solemnly dedicate this hall to Universal 
Benevolence. 

The grand honors are thrice repeated. 

To Heaven's high Architect all praise, 
All praise, all gratitude be given, 

Who designed the human soul to raise. 
By mystic secrets sprung fi^om Heaven. 



184 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

The Grand Chai^lain, standing before the Lodge, theD 
makes the following 

INVOCATION : 

And may the Lord, the Giver of every good 
and perfect gift, bless the brethren here assem- 
bled, in all their lawful undertakings, and grant 
to each one of them, in needful supply, the 
Corn of nourishment, the Wine of refreshment, 
and the Oil of joy. Amen. 

Response. So mote it be. 

The Lodge is then covered, and the Grand Master 
retires to his chair. 

An Oration, or suitable address, may here appropri- 
ately be delivered, and the ceremonies conclude with 
music. 

The Lodge is again formed in procession, as at first, 
and returns to the room where it was opened, and is 
then closed. 



GKAND VISITATIONS. 



The Grand Master, accompanied by the Grand 
Officers, should, at least once a year, or as often as he 
may deem expedient, visit the Lodges under his jurisdic- 
tion, to make the customary examinations. When this 
laudable duty becomes impracticable, from the extent of 
jurisdiction and large number of Lodges, the Grand 
Master may appoint any one or more of his Grand 
Officers, who shall visit and inspect such Lodges as the 
Grand Master shall designate, and make report to him 
of the result. 

The following is the ceremony observed on such oc- 
casions : 

The Grand Master, or presiding Grand Officer, notifies 
the Lodge of the intended visit. 

The Master opens his Lodge on the third degree, and 
places his Deacons at the sides of the door, with their 
rods crossed. The brethren arrange themselves in a 
line from the door, on each side, to the Chair. The 
Orders, borne by some of the private brethren, wait near 
the door, to walk before the Grand Master when they 
enter. Being arranged in this manner, the Master 
deputes a Past Master to escort the Grand Officers, who 
enter in the following form : 

Grand Marshal; 

Grand Stewards; 

Grand Pursuivant, with sword; 

Two Grand Deacons; 
Grand Treasurer and Secretary; 



186 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

Grand Chaplain; 

Senior and Junior Grand Wardens; 

Grand and Deputy Grand Masters; 

Two Grand Deacons; 

The Grand Tiler remains at the door. 

They proceed up to the East, when they open to the 
right and left, and the Grand Master passes through to 
the Chair; then they close, and take their seats on the 
right of the Master. The Master receives the Grand 
Master according to ancient usage, with the private 
grand honors of Masonry, and resigns to him the Chair 
and the Gavel, when the officers of the Lodge resign 
their seats to the corresponding Grand Officers. The 
Master then dehvers to the Grand Master the Warrant 
of Constitution, the Treasurer and Secretary's books, 
and a statement of the funds of the Lodge, for his in- 
spection. Having examined them, he expresses his ap- 
probation, or makes such observations as the circum- 
stances and situation of the Lodge may require. The 
Grand Master then resigns the chair to the Worshipful 
Master, and the Grand Officers leave their seats and re- 
pair to the East. 

Should the Grand Officers retire before the Lodge is 
closed, the same ceremony must be observed as at their 
entrance. 



MASONIC FUNERAL SERVICES. 



The Ceeemonies whicli are observed on the occasion 
of funerals are highly appropriate; they are performed 
as a melancholy Masonic duty, and as a token of respect 
and affection to the memory of a departed brother. 

GENEKAL DIEECTIONS. 

I. No Freem:a.son can be buried with the formalities of 
the Fraternity, unless it be at his own request, or that 
of some of his family, communicated to the Master of 
the Lodge of which he died a member; foreigners or 
sojourners excepted; nor unless he has received the 
Master Mason's degree ; and from this restriction there 
can be no exception. 

n. Fellow-Crafts or Entered Apprentices are not en- 
titled to these obsequies; nor can they be allowed to 
unite, as Masons, in the funeral of a brother. 

m. The Master of the Lodge, having received notice 
of the death of a brother, (the deceased having attained 
to the degree of Master Mason,) and of his request to 
be buried with the ceremonies of the Craft, fixes the 
day and hour for the funeral, (unless previously ar- 
ranged by the friends or relatives of the deceased,) and 
issues his command to the Secretary to summon the 
Lodge. He may invite as many Lodges as he may 
think proper, and the members of those may accompany 
their officers in form; but the whole ceremony must be 



188 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

under the direction of the Master of the Lodge of which 
the deceased was a member. 

rV. Upon the death of a sojourner, who had ex- 
pressed a wish to be buried with the Masonic ceremo- 
nies, the duties prescribed in Article III. will devolve 
U2)on the Master of the Lodge within whose jurisdiction 
the death may occur; and if in a place where there be 
more than one Lodge, then upon the Master of the 
oldest Lodge, unless otherwise mutually arranged. 

Y. A^Tienever civic societies, or the military, may 
unite with Masons in the burial of a Mason, the body 
of the deceased must be in charge of the Lodge having 
jurisdiction. The Masonic services should in all 
respects be conducted as if none but Masons were in 
attendance. 

VL If the deceased was a Grand or Past Grand 
Officer, the officers of the Grand Lodge should be 
invited; when the Master of the Lodge having jurisdic- 
tion, will invite the Grand Officer present who has at- 
tained the highest rank to conduct the burial service. 

VII. The pall-bearers should be Masons, selected by 
the Master. If the deceased was a member of a Chap- 
ter, Commandery, or Consistory, a portion of the pall- 
bearers should be taken from these bodies severally. 

Vm. The proper clothing for a Masonic funeral is a 
black hat, black or dark clothes, black neck- tie, white 
gloves, and a plain square white linen or lambskin 
apron, with a band of black crape around the left arm, 
above the elbow, and a sprig of evergreen on the left 
breast. The Master's gavel, the Wardens' columns, 
the Deacons' and Stewards' rods, the Tiler's sword, the 
Bible, the Book of Constitutions, and the Marshal's 



FUNERAL SERVICES. 189 

baton, should be trimmed with black crape, neatly tied 
with white ribbon. The officers of the Lodge should, 
and Past Masters and Grand Officers may, wear their 
official Jewels. 

IX. While the body is lying in the coffin, there shoidd 
be placed upon the latter a plain white lambskin apron. 

X. If a Past or Present Grand Master, Deputy Grand 
Master, or Grand Warden, should join the procession of 
a private Lodge, proper attention must be paid to them. 
They take j)lace after the Master of the Lodge. Two 
Deacons, with white rods, should be appointed by the 
Master to attend a Grand Warden; and when the Grand 
Master or Deputy Grand Master is present, the Book of 
Constitutions should be borne before him, a Sword- 
Bearer should follow, and the Deacons, with white rods, 
on his right and left. 

XI. When the head of the procession shall have 
arrived at the place of interment, or where the services 
are to be performed, the lines should be opened, and 
the highest officer in rank, preceded by the Marshal and 
Tiler, pass through, and the others follow in order. 

Xn. Upon arriving at the entrance of the cemetery, 
the brethren should march in open order to the tomb 
or grave. If the body is to be placed in the former, the 
Tiler should take his place in front of the open door, 
and the lines be spread so as to form a circle. The 
coffin should be deposited in the circle, and the Stewards 
and Deacons should cross their rods over it. The 
bearers should take their places on either side — ^the 
mourners at the foot of the coffin, and the Master and 
other officers at the head. After the coffin has been 
placed in the tomb, the Stewards should cross their rods 



190 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

over the door, and the Deacons over the Master, ll 
the body is to be deposited in the earth, the circle 
should be formed around the grave, the body being 
placed on rests over it; the Stewards should cross their 
rods over the foot, and the Deacons the head, and retain 
their places throughout the services. 

XIII. After the clergymen shall have performed the 
religious services of the Church, the Masonic services 
should begin. 

XTV. When a number of Lodges join in a funeral 
procession, the position of the youngest Lodge is at the 
head or right of the procession, and the oldest at the 
end or left, excepting that the Lodge of which deceased 
was a member walks nearest the corpse. 

XV. The procession must return to the Lodge-room 
in the same order in which it marched to the grave. 

XVI. A Lodge in procession is to be strictly under 
the discipline of the Lodge-room; therefore, no brother 
can enter the procession or leave it without express per- 
mission from the Master, conveyed through the MarshaL 

The services herein arranged for the Burial of the 
Dead are adapted for all the purposes for which cere- 
monies of that character may be required. The ar- 
rangement is such that any portion of the service — each 
part being complete — may be used as occasion requires. 
It is not expected that the whole ceremony will or can 
be used at any one time. If the weather should be 
stormy, or the body of the deceased taken for interment 
to a distance, where it would be impossible or inconve- 
nient for the brethren to attend, that portion of the ser- 
vice set apart for the Lodge-room, or at the house of 
the deceased, may be performed. 



SERYICE 

IN THE 

LODGE-ROOM. 

The bretliren, having assembled at the Lodge-room, 
or some other appropriate place, the Lodge will bo opened 
briefly on the third degree; the purpose of the commu- 
nication must be stated; and remarks upon the charac- 
ter of the deceased may be made by the Master and 
brethren, when the service will commence — all the 
brethren to stand : 

Master. What man is he that liveth, and 
shall not see death ? Shall he deliver his soul 
from the hand of the grave ? 

Sen. War. His days are as grass; as a flower 
of the field, so he flourisheth. 

Jun. War. For the wind passeth over it, and 
it is gone ; and the place thereof shall know it 
no more. 

Master. Where is now our departed Brother ? 

Sen. War. He dwelleth in night; he sojourn- 
eth in darkness. 

Jun. War. Man walketh in a vain shadow ; 
he heapeth up riches, and cannot tell who shall 
gather them. 

Master. When he dieth, he shall carry nothng 
away; his glory shall not descend after liim. 



192 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

Sen, War. For he brought nothing into the 
world, and it is certain he can carry nothing out. 

Jun. War. The Lord gave, and the Lord 
hath taken away ; blessed be th( name of the 
Lord. 

Master. The Lord is merciful and gracious, 
slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. 

Sen. War. God is our salvation; our glory, 
and the rock of our strength ; our refuge is in 
God. 

Jun, War. He hath not dealt with us after 
our sins, nor rewarded us according to our 
iniquities. 

Master. Can we offer any precious gift ac- 
ceptable in the sight of the Lord to redeem our 
brother ? 

Sen. War. We are poor and needy. We are 
without gift or ransom. 

Jun. War. Be merciful unto us, Lord, be 
merciful unto us; for we trust in thee. Our 
hope and salvation are in thy patience. Where 
else can we look for mercy ? 

Master. Let us endeavor to live the life of the 
righteous, that our last end may be like his. 

Sen. War. The Lord is gracious and right- 
eous; yea, our God is merciful. 



SERVICE IN THE LODGE-EOOM. 193 

Jim. War. God is our God for ever and ever; 
He will be our guide, even unto death. 

Master, Shall our Brother's name and virtues 
be lost upon the earth for ever? 

Response hy the Brethren. We will remember 
and cherish them in our hearts. 

Master. I heard a voice from heaven, saying 

unto me, "Write, from henceforth blessed are 

the dead who die in the Lord ! Even so, saith 

the Spirit; for they rest from their labors." 

Here the Master will take the sacred roll,* on which 
have been inscribed the name, age, date of initiation or 
affiliation, date of death, and any matters that may be 
interesting to the brethren; and shall read the same 
aloud, and shall then say: 

Almighty Father! in thy hands we leave, 
with humble submission, the soul of our de- 
parted brother. Amen. 

Response, So mote it be. 

The grand honors f should then be given three times; 
the brethren to respond each time — 

The will of God is accomplished. Amen. So 

mote it be. 

The Master should then deposit the roll in the 
archives of the Lodge. 

* A sheet of parchment or paper, prepared for the purpose, 
t See note, p. 211. 

y 



194 



MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 



The following or some other appropriate Hymn may 

be sung: 

AiB — Balerma. 0. M. 



Hi: 



i 



m 



^ 



:^z 



-^- 



^S=g 



-^- 



Few are tliy days, and full of woe, O 



?2- 



i^-^^ 



^ 



^— r- 



4i 



:?2=t 



:^: 



:^ 



g 



-^z 



5E^: 



1 

man of woman born ! Thy doom is writ-ten. 



^ 



g^gg 



sq:^ 



-»J-I- 



3: 



""S?~ 



2:t 



|i#- 



i 



I 



'Dust thou art, And shalt to dust re - turn." 



g^E 



1 



Hi 



Behold the emblem of thy state 
In flowers that bloom and die; 

Or in the shadow's fleeting form, 
That mocks the gazer's eye. 

Determined are the days that fly 
Successive o'er thy head; 

The number'd hour is on the wing, 
That lays thee with the dead. 



SERVICE IN THE LODGE-EOOM. 195 

Great God, afflict not, in thy wrath, 

The short allotted span 
That bounds the few and weary days 

Of pilgrimage to man. 

The Master or Chaplain will repeat the following or 
some other appropriate Prayee: 

Almighty and Heavenly Father — infinite in 
wisdom, mercy, and goodness — extend to us the 
riches of thy everlasting grace. Thou alone art 
a refuge and help in trouble and affliction. In 
this bereavement we look to thee for support 
and consolation. May we believe that death 
hath no power over a faithful and righteous 
soul! May we believe that, though the dust 
returneth to the dust as it was, the spirit goeth 
unto thyself. As we mourn the departure of a 
brother beloved from the circle of our Frater- 
nity, may we trust that he hath entered into a 
higher brotherhood, to engage in nobler duties 
and in heavenly work, to find rest from earthly 
labor, and refreshment from earthly care. May 
thy peace abide within us, to keep us from all 
evil! Make us grateful for present benefits, 
and crown us with immortal life and honor. — 
And to thy name shall be all the glory for- 
ever. Amen. 

Iles;ponse. So mote it be. 



196 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

A procession should then be formed, which will pro- 
ceed to the church or the house of the deceased, in the 
following order: 

Tiler, with drawn sword; 

Stewards, with white rods; 

Master Masons ; 

4 Secretary and Treasurer; 

5 Senior and Junior Wardens; 
j3 Past Masters; 

^ The Holy Bible, 

On a cushion, covered with black cloth, carried by the 

oldest member of the Lodge; 

The Master, 

Supported by two Deacons, with white rods. 

When the head of the procession arrives at the en- 
trance of the building, it should halt and open to the 
right and left, forming two parallel lines, when the 
Marshal, with the Tiler, will pass through the lines to 
the end, and escort the Master or Grand Officer into the 
house, the brethren closing in and following, thus re- 
versing the order of procession — the brethren with 
heads uncovered. 



SERYICB 

AT THE 

CHURCH OR THE HOUSE OF THE DECEASED. 



After the religious services have been performed, the 
Master will take his station at the head of the coffin, 
the Senior Warden on his right, the Junior Warden on 
his left ; the Deacons and Stewards, with white rods 
crossed, the former at the head and the latter at the 
foot of the coffin; the brethren forming a circle around 
all, when the Masonic service will commence by the 
Chaplain or Master repeating the following, or some 
other appropriate Pkayer, in which all the brethren will 
join : 

Our Father which art in heaven, haUowed be 
thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be 
done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this 
day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, 
as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not 
into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For 
thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the 
glory, for ever. Amen. 

Master. Brethren, we are caUed upon by the 
imperious mandate of the dread Messenger, 
Death, against whose free entrance within the 
circle of our Fraternity the barred doors and 



198 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

Tiler's weapon offer no impediment, to mourn 
the loss of one of our companions. The dead 

body of our beloved Brother A B 

lies in its narrow house before us, overtaken 
by that fate which must sooner or later over- 
take us all ; and which no power or station, 
no virtue or bravery, no wealth or honor, no 
tears of friends or agonies of relatives can 
avert; teaching an impressive lesson, continu- 
ally repeated, yet soon forgotten, that every 
one of us must ere long pass through the valley 
of the shadow of death, and dwell in the house 
of darkness. 

Sen. War. In the midst of life we are in 
death ; of whom may we seek for succor but 
of thee, Lord, who for our sins art justly 
displeased. Thou knowest. Lord, the secrets 
of our hearts ; shut not thy merciful ears to our 
prayer. 

Jun. War. Lord, let me know my end, and 
the number of my days ; that I may be certified 
how long I have to live. 

Master, Man that is born of woman is of few 
days and full of trouble. He cometh forth as 
a flower, and is cut down ; he fleeth also as a 
shadow, and continueth not. Seeing his days 



SERVICE IN CHUECH OR HOUSE. 199 

are determined, the number of his months are 
with thee ; thou hast appointed his bounds that 
he cannot pass ; turn from him that he may 
rest, till he shall accomphsh his day. For there 
is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will 
sprout again, and that the tender branch there- 
of will not cease. But man dieth and wasteth 
away ; yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where 
is he ? As the waters fail from the sea, and 
the flood decayeth and drieth up, so man lieth 
down, and riseth not up till the heavens shall 
be no more. 

Sen. War. Our life is but a span long, and 
the days of our pilgrimage are few and full of 
evil. 

Jun. War. So teach us to number our days, 
that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. 

Master. Man goeth forth to his work and to 
his labor until the evening of his day. The 
labor and work of our brother are finished. As 
it hath pleased Almighty God to take the soul 
of our departed brother, may he find mercy in 
the great day when all men shall be judged ac- 
cording to the deeds done in the body. We 
must walk in the light while we have light ; for 
the darkness of death may come upon us, at a 



200 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

time when we may not be prepared. Take 
heed, therefore, watch and pray ; for ye know 
not when the thne is ; ye know not when the 
Master cometh, at even, at midnight, or in the 
morning. We should so regulate our lives by 
the line of rectitude and truth, that in the 
evening of our days we may be found worthy 
to be called from labor to refreshment, and duly 
prepared for a translation from the terrestrial to 
the celestial Lodge, to join the Fraternity of 
the spirits of just men made perfect. 

Sen. War. Behold, Lord, we are in distress! 
Our hearts are turned within us ; there is none 
to comfort us ; our sky is darkened with clouds, 
and mourning and lamentations are heard 
among us. 

Jun. War. Our life is a vapor that appeareth 
for a little while, and then vanisheth away. All 
flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the 
flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the 
flower thereof falleth away. 

Master. It is better to go to the house of 
mourning than to go to the house of feasting ; 
for that is the end of all men ; and the living 
will lay it to his heart. 

Response hy all the Brethren. So mote it be. 



SERVICE IN CHURCH OR HOUSE. 



201 



Then maj' be sung the following, or some other ap- 
propriate Hymn: 




!=^^=t=^ii:^?=^^ 



Here Death his sa-cred seal hath set On 

_.^ [S_J_J 



^ 



^SS 



^ 



fc53Eic 



ztizezzfz 



ZVUMC 



-t=-K 




=?=I#=F^ 



^-4^— m 



st^^#=p=g^ 



# '^^ 



bright and bygone hours; The dead we mourn are 



i!i^E 






s 



-^^J^- 



T^'aj-g— g »|— «— a- 



:*z;«:z:cz«^«i 



:^: 



iMiii 



*Jia± 



i 



with us yet, And — more than ever — ours ! 






Ours, by the pledge of love and faith; 

By hopes of heaven on high; 
By trust, triumphant over death, 

In immortality ! 

The dead are like the stars by day, 

Withdrawn from mortal eye ; 
Yet holding un perceived their way 
g^ Through the unclouded sky. 



202 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

By them through holy hope and love. 

We feel, in hours serene, 
Connected with the Lodge above, 

Immortal and unseen. 

The Master or Chaplain will repeat the following, oi 
some other appropriate -prajer: 

Most Glorious God ! author of all good, and 
giver of all mercy! pour down thy blessmgs 
upon us, and strengthen our solemn engage- 
ments with the ties of sincere affection ! May 
the present instance of mortality remind us of 
our approaching fate, and draw our attention 
toward thee, the only refuge in time of need! 
that when the awful moment shall arrive, that 
we are about to quit this transitory scene, the 
enlivening prospect of thy mercy may dispel 
the gloom of death ; and after our departure 
hence in peace and in thy favor, we may be 
received into thine everlasting kingdom, to 
enjoy, in union with the souls of our departed 
friends, the just reward of a pious and virtuous 
life. 

Response. So mote it be. 

If the remains of the deceased are to be removed to a 
distance where the brethren cannot follow to perform 
the ceremonies at the grave, the procession will return 
to the Lodge-room or disperse, as most convenient. 



SERVICE AT THE GRAVE. 



When the solemn rites of the dead are to be perfonned 
at the grave, the procession should be formed, and pro- 
ceed to the place of interment in the following order: 
Tiler, with drawn sword; 
Stewards, with white rods; 
Musicians, 
If they are Masons, otherwise they follow the Tiler; - 
^ Master Masons; 

S Secretary and Treasurer; 

% Senior and Junior Wardens; 

^ Past Masters; 

The Holy Writings, 

On a cnshion, covered with black cloth, carried by the 

oldest member of the Lodge; 

The jMaster, 

Supported by two Deacons, with white rods; 

Officiating Clergy; 

with the insignia J^^ placed thereon; 
Pall-bearers; nmBr Pall-bearers; 

Mourners. 
If the deceased was a member of a Royal Arch Chapter 
and a Commandery of Knights Templar, and members 
of those bodies should unite in the procession, clothed 
as such, the former will follow the Past Masters, and 
the latter will act as an escort or guard of honor to the 



204 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

corpse, outside the Pall-bearers, marching in the form 
of a triangle; the officers of the Commandery forming 
the base of the triangle, with the Eminent Commander 
in the center. 

When the procession has arrived at the place of inter- 
ment, the members of the Lodge should form a circle 
around the grave; when the Master, Chaplain, and other 
Officers of the acting Lodge, take their position at the 
head of the grave, and the mourners at the foot. 

After the clergyman has performed the religious 
servce of the Church, the Masonic service should begin. 

Master, The hand of the Lord was upon me, 
and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, 
and set me down in the midst of the valley which 
was full of bones, 

And caused me to pass by them round about : 
and behold, there were very many in the open 
valley ; and lo, they were very dry. 

And he said unto me, son of man, can these 
bones live? and I answered, Lord God, thou 
knowest. 

Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these 
bones, and say unto them, ye dry bones, 
hear the word of the Lord. 

Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones : 
Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, 
and ye shall live : 

And I will lay sinews upon you, and will 



SERVICE AT THE GRAVE. 205 

bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with 
skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live: 
and ye shall know that I am the Lord. 

So I prophesied as I was commanded; and 
as I prophesied there was a noise, and behold 
a shaking, and the bones came together, bone 
to his bone. 

And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the 
flesh came upon them, and the skin covered 
them above ; but there was no breath in them. 

Then he said unto me, Prophesy unto the 
wind, prophesy son of man, and say to the 
wind. Thus saith the Lord God : Come from 
the four winds, breath, and breathe upon 
these slain, that they may live. 

So I prophesied as he commanded me, and 
the breath came into them, and they lived. — 
Ezek. xxxvii. 1-10. 

The Chaplaia rehearses the folloYring, or some other 
appropriate prayer: 

Almighty and most merciful Father, we adpre 
thee as the God of time and eternity. As it 
has pleased thee to take from the light of our 
abode one dear to our hearts, we beseech thee 
to bless and sanctify unto us this dispensation 
of thy Providence. Inspire our hearts with 



206 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

wisdom from on high., that we may glorify thee 
in aU our ways. May we reahze that thine all- 
seeing eye is upon us, and be influenced by the 
spirit of truth and love to perfect obedience — 
that we may enjoy the divine approbation here 
below. And when our toils on earth shall have 
ended, may we be raised to the enjoyment of 
fadeless light and immortal hfe in that kingdom 
where faith and hope shall end — and love and 
joy prevail through eternal ages. And thine, 
righteous Father, shall be the glory forever. — 
Amen. 

Response. — So mote it be. 

The following exhortation is then given by the Master: 
Brethren: The solemn notes that betoken 
the dissolution of this earthly tabernacle, have 
again alarmed our outer door, and another 
spirit has been summoned to the land where 
our fathers have gone before us. Again we are 
called to assemble among the habitations of the 
dead, to behold the *' narrow house appointed 
for all living." Here, around us, in that peace 
which the world cannot give or take away, sleep 
the unnumbered dead. The gentle breeze fans 
their verdant covering, they heed it not; the 
sunshine and the storm pass over them, and they 



SERVICE AT THE GEAYE. 207 

are not disturbed; stones and lettered monu- 
ments symbolize the affection of surviving 
friends, yet no sound proceeds from them, save 
that silent but thrilling admonition, " Seek ye 
the narrow path and the straight gate that lead 
unto eternal life." 

We are again called upon to consider the 
uncertainty of human life; the immutable cer- 
tainty of death, and the vanity of all human 
pursuits. Decrepitude and decay are written 
upon every living thmg. The cradle and the 
coffin stand in juxtaposition lo each other; and 
it is a melancholy truth, that so soon as we 
begin to live, that moment also we begin to 
die. It is passing strange that, notwithstanding 
the daily mementos of mortality that cross our 
path; notwithstanding the funeral bell so often 
tolls in our ears, and the "mournful procession" 
go about our streets, that we will not more 
seriously consider our approaching fate. We 
go on from design to design, add hope to hope, 
and lay out plans for the employment of many 
years, until we are suddenly alarmed at the 
approach of the Messenger of Death, at a 
moment when we least expect him, and which 
we probably conclude to be the meridian of 
our existence. 



208 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

What, then, are all the externals of human 
dignity, the power of wealth, the dreams of 
ambition, the pride of intellect, or the charms 
of beauty, when Nature has paid her just debt? 
Fix your eyes on the last sad scene, and view 
hfe stript of its ornaments, and exposed in its 
natural meanness, and you must be persuaded 
of the utter emptiness of these delusions. In 
the grave, all fallacies are detected, all ranks 
are leveled, all distinctions are done away. 
Here the scepter of the prince and the staff of 
the beggar are laid side by side. 

While we drop the sympathetic tear over the 
grave of our deceased brother, let us cast around 
his foibles, whatever they may have been, the 
hroad mantle of Masonic charity, nor withhold 
from his memory the commendation that his 
virtues claim at our hands. Perfection on earth 
has never yet been attained; the wisest, as well 
as the best of men, have gone astray. Suffer, 
then, the apologies of human nature to plead 
for him who can no longer plead for himself 

Our present meeting and proceedings will 
have been vain and useless, if they fail to 
excite our serious reflections, and strengthen 
our resolutions of amendment. Be then per- 



SERVICE AT THE GRAVE. 209 

suaded, my brethren, by this example, of the 
uncertaiuty of human Hfe — of the unsub- 
stantial nature of all its pursuits, and no longer 
postpone the all-important concern of pre- 
paring for eternity. Let us each embrace the 
present moment, and while time and opportunity 
permit, prepare with care for that great change, 
which we all know must come; when the 
pleasures of the world shall cease to delight, 
and be as a poison to our lips; when the happy 
reflection of a well-spent life in the exercise of 
piety and virtue, will yield the only comfort 
and consolation. Thus shall our hopes be not 
frustrated, nor we hurried unprepared into the 
presence of that all-wise and powerful Judge, 
to whom the secrets of all hearts are known. 
Let us resolve to maintain with sincerity the 
dignified character of our profession. May our 
faith be evinced in a correct moral walk and 
deportment; may our hope be bright as the 
glorious mysteries that will be revealed here- 
after; and our charity boundless as the wants 
of our fellow-creatures. And having faithfully 
discharged the great duties which we owe to 
God, to our neighbor, and ourselves; when at 
last it shall please the Grand Master of the Uni-^ 



210 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

verse to summon us into his eternal presence, 
may the trestle-hoard of our whole lives pass 
such inspection that it may be given unto each 
of us to " eat of the hidden manna," and to 
receive the "white stone with a new name/' 
that will insure perpetual and unspeakable 
happiness at his right hand. 

The Master then (presenting the apron) continues : 

The lambskin, or white apron, is the emblem 
of innocence and the badge of a Mason. It is 
more ancient than the Golden Fleece or Roman 
Eagle; more honorable than the Star and Garter, 
when worthily worn. 

The Master then deposits it in the grave. 

This emblem I now deposit in the grave of 
our deceased brother. By it we are reminded 
of the universal dominion of Death. The arm 
of Friendship cannot interpose to prevent his 
coming; the wealth of the world cannot pur- 
chase our release; nor will the innocence of 
youth, or the charms of beauty, propitiate his 
purpose. The mattock, the coiffin, and the 
melancholy grave, admonish us of our mor- 
tality, and that, sooner or later, these frail 
bodies must moulder in their parent dust. 



r 

SEKVICE AT THE GKAYE. 211 

The Master (holding the evergreen) continues : 
This evergreen^ which once marked the tem- 
porary resting-place of the illustrious dead, is 
an emblem of our faith in the immortality of 
the soul. By this we are reminded that we 
have an immortal part within us, that shall 
survive the grave, and which shall never, never , 
NEVER die. By it we are admonished that, 
though, like our brother, whose remains lie be- 
fore us, we shall soon be clothed in the habili- 
ments of Death, and deposited in the silent 
tomb, yet, through our behef in the mercy of 
God, we may confidently hope that our souls 
will bloom in eternal spring. This, too, I de- 
posit in the grave, with the exclamation, "Alas, 
my brother !" 

The brethren then move in procession around the 
place of interment, and severally drop the sprig of ever- 
green into the grave; after which, the pubhc grand 
honors* are given. 

* The grand honors practiced among Masons during the burial 
ceremonies, either in public or private, are given in the following 
manner: both arms are crossed on the breast, the left uppermost, 
and the- open palms of the hands striking the shoulders; they are 
then raised above the head, the palms stiiking each other, and then 
made to fall sharply on the thighs, with the head bowed. This is 
repeated three times. While the honors are being given the third 
time, the brethren audibly pronounce the following words — when 
the arms are crossed on the breast: — "We cherish his memory 
here;" when the hands are extended above the head — " We com- 
mend his spirit to God who gave it;" and when the hands are ex- 
tended toward the ground — " And consign his body to the earth." 



212 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

The Master tlien continues the ceremony : 

From time immemorial, it has been the cus- 
tom among the Fraternity of Free and Accepted 
Masons, at the request of a brother, to accom- 
pany his remains to the place of interment, and 
there to deposit them with the usual formalities. 

In conformity to this usage, and at the request 
of our deceased brother, whose memory we re- 
vere, and whose loss we now deplore, we have 
assembled in the character of Masons to offer 
up to his memory, before the world, the last 
tribute of our affection; thereby demonstrating 
the sincerity of our past esteem for him, and 
our steady attachment to the principles of the 
Order. 

The Great Creator having been pleased, out of 
his infinite mercy, to remove our brother from 
the cares and troubles of this transitory existence, 
to a state of endless duration, thus severing 
another link from the fraternal chain that binds 
us together; may we, who survive him, be more 
strongly cemented in the ties of union and 
friendship, that, during the short space allotted 
us here, we may wisely and usefully employ 
our time; and in the reciprocal intercourse of 
kind and friendly acts, mutually promote the 



SERVICE AT THE GEAVE. 213 

welfare and happiness of each other. Unto 
the grave we have consigned the body of our 
deceased brother; earth to earth, {earth being 
sprinMed on the coffin,) ashes to ashes, {more 
earth,) dust to dust, {more earth;) there to re- 
main till the trump shall sound on the resur- 
rection morn. We can cheerfully leave him in 
the hands of a Being who has done all things 
well; who is glorious in holiness, fearful in 
praises, doing wonders. 

To those of his immediate relatives and 
friends, who are most heart-stricken at the loss 
we have all sustained, we have but httle of this 
world's consolation to offer. We can only sin- 
cerely, deeply, and most affectionately sympa- 
thize with them in their afflictive bereavement. 
But we can say that He who tempers the wind 
to the shorn lamb, looks down with infinite 
compassion upon the widow and fatherless, in 
the hour of their desolation; and that the Great 
Architect will fold the arms of his love and 
protection around those who put their trust in 
him. 

Then let us improve this solemn warning, that 
at last, when the sheeted dead are stirring, when 
the great white throne is set, we shall receive 



214 



MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 



from the Omniscient Judge, the thrilling invita- 
tion, Come, ye blessed, inherit the kingdom 
prepared for you from the foundation of the 
world. 

The foUowing, or some other suitable Ode, may be 
sung: 

SCOTLAND. 

Arranged from Dr. Claek, by Br. Jas. B. Tatlob. 



irfe 



fi-^fc 



T* 



M=S—t 



-0—i — h 



r~ 



zizsit: 



Fi^ 



« 



Thou art gone to the grave, but we will not de 



mt^tmm 



-0 — •-!-• 



i 



-0 # 



tdiJ 



■0- -m — m- 



-0 — 0- 



-0 — 0- 



.0~0Z 



plore thee, Tho' sor-row and darkness en - corn-pass the 

_• 



a!ga| 



1^=W=W^ 



m 




tomb ; The Good has passed on thro' its 



^^ 



\'^ 



-y — ^- 



V — ?- 



SERVICE AT THE GRAYE. 



215 



i 



EEIE 



& 



por 



tals be - fore thee, And the cas - sia 



^ 



^-#- 



m 



¥ 



N N 



-^=^- 



g^ 



blooms green - ]y to light - en the gloom, And the 



m 



I 



:ti=MZ 






i^—v'- 







cas - sia blooms greenly 



to light en the gloom. 



I 



9^ 



r- 



PT 



g=ff 



t=t± 



Thou art gone to the grave; we no longer behold thee, 
Nor tread the rough paths of the world by thy hand; 

But the wide arms of Mercy are spread to enfold thee, 
And we'll meet thee again in the heavenly land. 

Thou art gone to the grave; and its mansion forsaking, 
Perchance thy weak spirit in doubt lingered long; 

But the sunshine of heaven beamed bright on thy waking. 
And the sound thou didst hear was the seraphim's song. 

Thou art gone to the grave; but 'twere wrong to deplore 
thee, 

When God was thy trust and thy guardian and guide; 
He gave thee, he took thee, and soon wilJ restore thee 

In the blest Lodefe above where the faithful abide. 



216 

Or this: 



MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 



PLEYEL'S HYMN. 



k 






IS 



i 



if^tjgj^jg^^ 



Sol- emn stiikes the fun'-ral chime, Notes of 



a% 



m 



-^ite 



-«^- 



m 



i 



2fc 



gi 



^'~^- 



.^-.^ 



i^-^^—m- 



our de-part -ing time; As we jour - ney 



^^^^^^s 



i 



m 



l;3^^:3^Eg 



here*^be-low, Thro' a pil - grimage of woe. 






id: 



-1^- 



t^Hi- 



i 



g? ' tg 



Mortals, now indulge a tear, 
For Mortality is here ! 
See how wide her trophies wave 
O'er the slumbers of the grave I 

Here another guest we bring; 

Seraphs of celestial wing. 

To our fun'ral altar come. 

Waft our friend and brother home. 



SERYICE AT THE GRAVE. 217 

There, enlarged, thy soul shall see 
"What was vailed in mystery; 
Heavenly glories of the place 
Show his Maker face to face. 

Lord of all ! below — above — 
Fill our hearts with truth and love; 
When dissolves our earthly tie, 
Take us to thy Lodge on high. 



The service may be concluded with the following, or 
some other suitable Prayer: 

Most G-lorious G-od, author of all good and 
giver of all mercy, pour down thy blessings 
upon us and strengthen our solemn engagements 
with the ties of sincere affection. May the 
present instance of mortality remind us of our 
own approaching fate, and, by drawing our 
attention toward thee, the only refuge in time 
of need, may we be induced so to regulate our 
conduct here, that when the awful moment 
shall arrive at which we must quit this transitory 
scene, the enlivening prospect of thy mercy 
may dispel the gloom of death ; and that after 
our departure hence in peace and in thy favor, 
we may be received into thine everlasting king- 
dom, and there join in union with our friend, 
and enjoy that uninterupted and unceasing 
10 



218 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

feli(3ity which is allotted to the souls of just men 

made perfect. Amen. 

Response. So mote it be. 

Master. The will of G-od is accomplished. 

Response. So mote it be. 

Master. From dust we came, and unto dust 
we must return. 

Response. May we all be recompensed at the 
resurrection of the just. Amen. 

Thus the service ends, and the procession will return 
in form to the place whence it set out, where the neces- 
sary business of Masonry should be renewed. The 
insignia and ornaments of the deceased, if an officer of 
a Lodge, are to be returned to the Master, with the 
usual ceremonies, and the Lodge will be closed in form. 



"When desirable, the foregoing may be abridged, or 
the following ceremonies used instead : 



ANOTHER FUNERAL SERVICE. 



The brethren being assembled at the Lodge-room, or 
Bome other convenient place, the presiding officer will 
open the Lodge on the third degree. After having 
stated the object of the meeting, the service will com- 
mence — all the brethren standing : 

Master. Brethren, we have this day assem- 
bled to commit to the earth, from whence it 
came, the body of our brother ; let us, then, 
with becoming reverence, discharge the last 
solemn duty our Order enjoins. 

Man that is born of woman, is of few days, 
and full of trouble ; he cometh forth like a 
flower, and is cut down ; he fleeth also as a 
shadow, and continueth not. Man dieth and 
wasteth away ; yea, man giveth up the ghost, 
and where is he ? As the waters fail from the 
sea, and the flood decay eth and drieth up, so 
man Heth down and riseth not up ; till the 
heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor 
be raised out of their sleep. 

Response. The place that knew him, shall 
know him no more. 

Master. What man is he that liveth and shall 
not see death? Shall he dehver his soul from 
the hand of the grave? 



220 



MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 



Response. Man walketh in a vain shadow; 
he heapeth up riches, and cannot tell who shall 
gather them. 

Master, When he dieth, he shall carry nothing 
away ; his glory shall not descend after him. 

Response. Naked he came into the world, and 
naked must he return. 

Master. The Lord gave, and the Lord taketh 
away ; blessed be the name of the Lord. 

Response. So mote it be. 

The following or some other suitable Hymn is then 
sung: 

Music — Bangor. 



^M 



"¥■ 



-^— ^ 



Hark ! from the tomb a dole - ful 



l3e 



:^ 




sound, Mine ears at - tend the cry ; 



P3^^ 



=^ 



FUNERAL SERVICE. 



221 



.^3 ! - .m— 



^ # 



^ 



-iS^ 



^ 



Ye 



come view 



the 



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-i^ 



I 



zi 




P Tr^^^ 



ground, Where you must short - ly 



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4: 



T 



1 



t==t 



-r^^ 



Princes, this clay must be your bed, 

In spite of all your towers; 
The tall, the wise, the reverend head, 

Must lie as low as ours. 

Great God ! is this our certain doom ? 

And are we still secure ? 
Still walking downward to the tomb, 

And still prepared no more? 

Grant us the power of quickening grace* 

To fit our souls to fly; 
Then when we drop this dying flesh, 

We'll rise above the sky. 

The following, or some other appropriate Prayer, is 
then offered: 

Most Glorious God ! Author of all good, and 



222 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

giver of all mercy! Pour down thy blessings 
upon us, and strengthen our solemn engage- 
ments with the ties of sincere affection! May 
the present instance of mortality remind us of 
our approaching fate, and draw our attention 
towards thee, the only refuge in time of need ; 
that, when the awful moment shall arrive that 
we are about to quit this transitory scene, the 
enlivening prospect of thy mercy may dispel 
the gloom of death ; and, after our departure 
hence in peace and in thy favor, we may be 
received into thine everlasting kingdom, to 
enjoy, in union with the souls of our departed 
friends, the just reward of a pious and virtuous 
Hfe. Amen. 

Response. So mote it be. 

The above ceremonies may be performed either at the 
Lodge, the house of the deceased, or in the church 
edifice, if the corpse is taken there, and rehgious ser- 
vices be performed. If at the house of the deceased, 
the Master will take his station at the head of the coffin, 
which will be uncovered, the Wardens at the foot, and 
the Brethren around it, and commence as above 
described. At the conclusion, the coffin will be closed. 
If in the church, immediately after the benediction, the 
Master, Wardens and Brethren will place themselves 
as above directed, when the ceremonies will commence. 

A procession ^s^ill then be again formed and march to 



FUNEBAL SEKYICE. 223 

the place of interment, in the order prescribed. The 
members of the Lodge will form a circle around the 
gTave. The clergy and officers will take their station 
at the head, and the mourners at the foot, when the 
service will be resumed by the Master, as follows : 

The hand of the Lord was upon me, and 
carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and 
set me down in the midst of the valley which 
was full of bones, 

And caused me to pass by them round about: 
and behold, there were very many in the open 
v^alley; and lo, they were very dry. 

And he said unto me, son of man, can these 
bones live? and I answered, Lord God, thou 
knowest. 

Again he said unto me. Prophesy upon these 
bones, and say unto them, ye dry bones, 
hear the word of the Lord. 

Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones: 
Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, 
and ye shall live: 

And I will lay sinews upon you, and will 
bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with 
skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live: 
and ye shall know that I am the Lord. 

So I prophesied as I was commanded; and 
as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold 



224 MASomo text-book. 

a shaking, and the bones came together, bone 
to his bone. 

And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the 
flesh came upon them, and the skin covered 
them above; but there was no breath in them. 

Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the 
wind, prophesy son of man, and say to the 
wind, Thus saith the Lord God: Come from 
the four winds, breath, and breathe upon 
these slain, that they may live. 

So I prophesied as he commanded me, and 
the breath came into them, and they lived. — 
Ezekiel, xxxvii. 1-10. 

The Master continues: 

Here we view a striking instance of the un- 
certainty of life, and the vanity of all human 
pursuits. The last offices paid to the dead are 
only useful as lectures to the living; from them 
we are to derive instruction, and consider every 
solemnity of this kind as a summons to prepare 
for our own approaching dissolution. 

Notwithstanding the various mementoes of 
mortality with which we daily meet, — notwith- 
standing death has established his empire over 
all the works of nature, — yet, through some 
unaccountable infatuation, we forget that we 



FUNERAL SERVICE. 225 

are born to die. We go on from one design to 
another, add hope to hope, and lay out plans 
for the employment of many years, till we are 
suddenly alarmed with the approach of death, 
when we least expect him, and at an hour 
which we probably conclude to be the meridian 
of our existence. 

What are all the externals of majesty, the pride 
of wealth, or charms of beauty, when nature 
has paid her just debt! Fix your eyes on the 
last sad scene, and view life, strip t of her or- 
naments, and exposed in her natural meanness; 
you will then be convinced of the futility of 
those empty delusions. In the grave, all fal- 
lacies are detected, all ranks are leveled, and 
all distinctions done away. 

While we drop the sympathetic tear over the 
grave of our deceased friend, let charity incline 
us to throw a vail over his foibles, whatever 
they may have been, and not withhold from his 
memory the praise that his virtues may have 
claimed. Suffer the apologies of human nature 
to plead in his behalf. Perfection on earth has 
never been attained; the wisest, as well as the 
best of men, have erred. 

Let the present example excite our most: 
10* 



226 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

serious thoughts, and strengthen our resolutions 
of amendment. As Hfe is uncertain, and all 
earthly pursuits are vain, let us no longer post- 
pone the important concern of preparing for 
eternity, but embrace the happy moment, while 
time and opportunity offer, to provide against 
the great change, when all the pleasures of this 
world shall cease to dehght, and the reflections 
of a virtuous life yield the only comfort and 
consolation. Thus our expectations will not be 
frustrated, nor we hurried unprepared into the 
presence of an all-wise and powerful Judge, to 
whom the secrets of all hearts are known. 

Let us, while in this state of existence, sup- 
port with propriety the character of our pro- 
fession, advert to the nature of our solemn ties, 
and pursue with assiduity the sacred tenets of 
our Order. Then, with becoming reverence, let 
us supplicate the Divine Grace, to insure the 
favor of that eternal Being, whose goodness and 
power know no bound; that, when the awful 
moment arrives, be it soon or late, we may be 
enabled to prosecute our journey, without dread 
or apprehension, to that far distant country, 
whence no traveler returns. 

The following invocations are then made by the 
Master : 



FUNERAL SERVICE. 227 

Master. May we be true and faithful; and 
may we live and die in love ! 

Response. So mote it be. 

Master. May we profess what is good, and 
always act agreeably to our profession! 

Response. So mote it be. 

Master. May the Lord bless us, and prosper 
us; and may all our good intentions be crowned 
with success! 

Response. So mote it be. 

Master. Glory be to God on high 1 on earth 
peace ! good will toward men ! 

Response. So mote it be, now, from hence- 
forth, and for ever more. 

Master. I am the resurrection and the Hfe, 
saiththe Lord; he that belie veth in me, though 
he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever 
liveth and believeth in me shall never die. 

Here the^ apron is taken from the coffin and handed 
to the Master, and the coffin is deposited in the earth, 
when the service is resumed: 

Master. Forasmuch as it hath pleased Al- 
mighty God, in his wise Providence, to take out 
of the world the soul of our deceased brother, 
we therefore commit his body to the ground: 
earth to earth, {earth being sprinkled on the 



228 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

coffin,) ashes to ashes, {more earth,) dust to dust, 
{more earth;) looking for the general resurrec- 
tion in the last day, when the earth and the sea 
shall give up their dead. 

The Secretary will then advance and deposit the Roll 
in the grave with the usual forms. 

Master. Friend and brother! we bid thee a 
h,si, a long Farewell ! Thou art at rest from 
thy labors; may it be in peace! Amen. 

Response. So mote it be. 

Master. In conformity with ancient custom 
I now deposit in the grave of our brother, this 
lambskin or white leather apron, the emblem 
of innocence. It is emblematical of that inno- 
cence of life and purity of conduct, which is 
essentially necessary to gain admission into that 
celestial temple, that house not made with 
hands, eternal in the heavens. 

Response. Blessed are the righteous who die 
in the Lord. 

The Master then takes in his hand a branch or sprig 
of evergreen, and says: 

I now deposit in the grave of our brother 
this evergreen, as an emblem of our faith in the 
immortality of the soul. By it we are re- 
minded, that although our bodies perish, we 



FUNERAL SERVICE. 



229 



have an immortal part that will survive the 
grave; that although we may soon be deposited 
in the silent tomb, yet, through the mediation 
of that exalted Being who brought life and im- 
mortality to light, we confidently hope that our 
souls will bloom forever in the Paradise of God. 
While the volume of inspiration teaches that 
this mortal body shall put on immortality, 
the works of nature by which we are sur- 
rounded, speak this truth : The soul shall live 
forever. 

Response. Incline your ear and come unto 
me, saith the Lord, and thy soul shall live. 

The following, or some other appropriate Hymn is 
sung, during which the Brethren will move in proces- 
sion around the grave, and severally drop in it the sprig 
of evergreen ; after which the public grand honors are 
given : 

SCOTLAND. 

Arranged from Dr. Clakk, by Br. Jas. B. Tatlob. 



i 



^^i:i:tE«ziiizi?: 



§$ 



Thou art gone to the grave, but we will not de ■ 

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230 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

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plore thee, Tho' sor-row and darkness en - com-pass the 

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FUNERAL SEEVICE. 233 

Thou art gone to the grave; we no longer behold thee, 
Nor tread the rough paths of the world by thy hand; 

But the wide arms of Mercy are spread to enfold thee, 
And we'll meet thee again in the heavenly land. 

Thou art gone to the grave; and its mansion forsaking. 
Perchance thy weak spirit in doubt lingered long; 

But the sunshine of heaven beamed bright on thy waking, 
And the sound thou didst hear was the seraphim's song. 

Thou art gone to the grave; but 'twere wrong to deplore 
thee, 

When God was thy trust and thy guardian and guide; 
He gave thee, he took thee, and soon will restore thee 

In the blest Lodge above where the faithful abide. 

The Master then continues the ceremony in the fol- 
lowing words: 

From time immemorial, it has been a custom 
among the Fraternity of Free and Accepted 
Masons, at the request of a Brother, to accom- 
pany his corpse to the place of interment, and 
there to deposit his remains, with the usual- 
formalities. 

In conformity to this usage, and at the special 
request of our deceased Brother, whose memory 
we revere, and whose loss we now deplore, we 
have assembled, in the character of Masons, to 
resign his body to the earth whence it came, 
and to offer up to his memory, before the 
world, the last tribute of our 'affection, thereby 



232 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

demonstrating the sincerity of our past esteem, 
and our steady attachment to the principles of 
the Order. 

The Great Creator, having been pleased, out 
of his mercy, to remove our Brother from the 
cares and troubles of a transitory existence, to 
a state of eternal duration, and thereby to 
weaken the chain by which we are united, man 
to man, may we, who survive him, anticipate 
our approaching fate, and be more strongly 
cemented in the ties of union and friendship; 
that, during the short space allotted to our 
present existence, we may wisely and usefully 
employ our time, and, in the reciprocal inter- 
course of kind and friendly acts, mutually pro- 
mote the welfare and happiness of each other. 

Unto the grave we resign the body of our 
deceased friend, there to remain until the gen- 
eral resurrection, in tavorable expectation that 
his immortal soul may then partake of joys 
which have been prepared for the righteous 
from the beginning of the world. And may 
Almighty GrOD, of his infinite goodness, at the 
grand tribunal of unbiassed justice, extend his 
mercy toward him and all of us, and crown 
our hope with everlasting bliss, in the expanded 



FUNERAL SEEVICE. 233 

realms of a boundless eternity 1 This we beg» 

for the honor of his name, to whom be glorj, 

now and forever. Amen. 

Response. So mote it be. 

The service is concluded with the following, or some 
other suitable Prayer : 

Almighty and most merciful God ! in whom 
we live, and move, and have our being, and 
before whom all men must appear to render an 
account for the deeds done in the body ; we do 
most earnestly beseech thee, as we now sur- 
round the grave of our fallen Brother, to 
impress deeply upon our minds the solemnities 
of this day. May we ever remember that "in 
the midst of life we are in death ;" and so live 
and act our several parts as we will desire to 
have done when the hour of departure is at 
hand. 

And 0, Gracious Father! vouchsafe us, we 
pray thee, thy divine assistance, to redeem our 
misspent time ; and in the discharge of the 
duties thou hast assigned us, in the erection of 
our moral edifice, may we have wisdom from 
on high to direct us ; strength commensurate 
with our task to support us ; and the heauty 
of holiness to render all our performances ac- 



234 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

ceptabie in thy sight. And at last, when oui 
work on earth is done, when the mallet of death 
shall call us from our labors, may we obtain a 
blessed and everlasting rest, in that spiritual 
house not made with hands, eternal in the 
heavens. Amen. 

Response. So mote it be. 

The procession will then return to the place whence 
it set out, where the necessary duties are complied with» 
and the Lodge is closed on the Third Degree. 



REGULATIONS FOR PROCESSIONS. 



The frequency of Masonic Processions is lugMy inappro- 
priate, and tends to bring the Fraternity into disrepute. The 
only proper occasions on which. Lodges may appear before 
the pubHc-, are, the Festivals of Saints John and the burial 
of deceased brethren. No other processions are permitted, 
except by special permission of the Grand Lodge or Grand 
Master. 

When the Grand Master, Deputy Grand Master, or either 
of the Grand Wardens, joins the procession of a private 
Lodge, proper respect is to be paid to the rank of that officer. 

When the Grand or Deputy Grand Master is present, the 
Book of Constitutions will be borne before him. The honor 
of carrying this book belongs of right to the Master of the 
oldest Lodge in the jurisdiction, whenever he is present, in 
allusion to the fact that the Constitutions of the Order were 
originally vested in that officer, and that on him the business 
of the Grand Lodge devolves, in case of the absence of all the 
Grand officers; and also because it was a custom adopted soon 
after the reorganization of the Grand Lodge of England, for 
the Master of the oldest Lodge to attend every Grand Listal- 
lation, and taking precedence of all others, the Grand Master 
only excepted, to deliver the Book of Constitutions to the 
newly-installed Grand Master, thereby to remind him of his 
obligation to preserve the Ancient Landmarks and Constitu- 
tions inviolate. 

The Book of Constitutions must never be borne in a pro- 
cession, unless the Grand or Deputy Grand Master be present. 



236 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

On entering public buildings, the Bible, Square and 
Compasses, and the Book of Constitutions, are to be placed 
in front of the Grand Master, and the Grand Marshal and 
Grand Deacons must keep near him. 

When a procession faces inward, the Deacons and Stewards 
will cross their rods, so as to form an arch for the brethren 
to pass beneath. 

Marshals are to walk or ride on the left flank of a proces- 
sion. The appropriate costume of a Marshal is a sword and 
scarf, with a baton in his hand. The color of the scarf must 
be blue in the procession of a Subordinate Lodge, and purple 
in that of the Grand Lodge. 

All processions will return in the same order- in which they 
set out. 

The post of honor in a Masonic procession is in the rear. 



PART III. 



MASONIC JURISPRUDENCE. 



MASONIC LAW. 



INTEODUCTION. 

This subject presents an extensive field for discussion, 
and might be extended much beyond the limits of the 
present work; but as it is only desired that the " leading 
principles of Masonic Law" should be incorporated, it 
will be sufficient to present them in a concise manner, 
without entering into an investigation of their origin, 
the reason of their adoption, or the authority whence 
derived. 

In its preparation, most of the works upon this 
subject have been consulted, including nearly all of 
those published in this country, particularly " Digest of 
Masonic Law," Chase; "Ahiman Kezon of Georgia," 
Rockwell; "Constitution and Eegulations of Virginia, 
1818," Henderson; " Lexicon of Freemasonry," Mackey; 
"Decisions of G-rand Master of Mississippi," Patton; 
"Masonic Jurisprudence," Mackey; "Digest of Decis- 
ions," Hubbard; "Dictionary and Manual of Masonic 
Law," Chase; "Freemason's Magazine," Boston, vols. 
1 to 24, Moore; " Principles of Masonic Jurisprudence," 
Simons; beside nearly all the Masonic "Manuals" and 
"Text-Books" which have been published. 

Especially are we indebted to the work of Bro. 
Simons, Past Grand Master of New York, for the sub- 
stance, and in many instances, the modes of expression, 
embodied in these pages, which fact is now mentioned 
in justice to all. 



240 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

The Constitution of the Grand Lodge of Tennessee, 
and when not repugnant to some higher Masonic au- 
thority, the Edicts and Kesolves thereof, have been 
regarded as decisive authority upon every question 
presented. 



THE LAW. 

The rules of action which regulate and control Free- 
masons in their individual character, or in their assem- 
blies, are: 

1. Ancient Landmarks. 

2. General and Local Eegulations. 

Landmarks^ are those principles, or rules of action, 
which have existed from time immemorial; which are 
identified with the form and essence of the Order; 
which cannot be changed, and which, under the most 
solemn and inviolable sanctions, every member of the 
Fraternity is bound to maintain unimpaired. 

General Regulations^ are those that have been adopted 
by such bodies as had at the time universal jurisdiction 
over the Craft, and were intended to be permanent in 
their character. 

Local Regulations, are those Masonic rules of action 
adopted by competent authority, for local or temporary 
purposes, and are in force only within the jurisdiction 
of the authority by which they are prescribed. 



MASONIC JUEISPBUDENOE. 211 

LANDMARKS. 

The following are given as the Landmarks, in the 
proper sense of that term, and as it is admitted that 
they have always been in force, that they involve essen- 
tial principles, are unchangeable, unless the form and 
essence of the Institution be altered; they are properly 
designated " The Ancient Landmarks of Masonry." 

1. A belief in the existence of a Supreme Being, and 
in the immortahty of the souL 

2. That the Moral Law, which inculcates, among 
other things, charity and probity, industry and sobriety, 
is the rule and guide of every Mason. 

3. Eespect for, and obedience to, the Civil Law of 
the country, and the Masonic regulations of the juris- 
diction where a Mason may reside. 

4. That new-made Masons must be free-bom, of law- 
ful age, having no maim or defect in their bodies, that 
may render them inxjapable of learning the Art. 

5. The modes of recognition, and, generally, the rites 
and ceremonies of the three degrees of Ancient Craft 
Masonry. 

6. That no appeal can be taken to the Lodge, from 
the decision of the Master, or the Warden occupying 
the Chair in his absence. 

7. The government of the Craft, when assembled in a 
Lodge, by a Master and two Wardens. 

8. That when a man becomes a Mason, he not only 
acquires membership in the particular Lodge that ad- 
mits him, but, in a general sense, he becomes one of 
the whole Masonic family. 

9. The prerogative of the Grand Master to preside 
over eveiy assembly of the Craft within his jurisdiction, 
to make Masons at sight, in a regular Lodge, by tha 

11 



242 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

consent thereof, and to grant Dispensations for tho 
formation of new Lodges. 

10. That no one can be made a Mason, save in a 
regular Lodge, duly convened, after petition, and ac- 
ceptance by unanimous ballot, except when made at 
sight by the Grand Master as aforesaid. 

11. That the ballot for candidates is strictly and 
inviolably secret. 

12. That a Lodge cannot try its Master. 

13. That every Mason is amenable to the laws and 
regulations of the jurisdiction in which he resides, even 
though he be a member of a particular Lodge in some 
other jurisdiction. 

14. The right of the Craft to be represented in Grand 
Lodge, and to instruct their representatives. 

15. No innovation can be made in the body of 
Masonry. 



REGULATIONS. 

"We give the Charges and Regulations compiled by 
Dr. Anderson, in 1721, and published under the sanc- 
tion of the Grand Lodge of England, in 1723, as con- 
taining all the laws of a general nature, having the 
force of "General Regulations." 

Hktraxiiedfrom the Ancient Records of Lodges heyond Sea, and 
of iJiose in England, Scotland, and Ireland, for the tise of the 
Lodges in London. To be read at the making of New 
Brethren, or when tJie Masiei- shall order it. 

THE GENERAL HEADS, viz : 
I. — Or God and Religion ; 11. — Of the Ciytl Magistrate, Supreme 
and Subordinate ; III. — Of Lodges ; IV. — Of Masters, Wajid- 
•ENS, Fellows and Apprentices ; V. — Of the management of 



MASONIC JURISPRUDENCE. 243 

the Cbaft in working ; VI. — Of Behavior, viz: 1. In tlie Lodge 
while Constituted. 2. After the Lodge is over, and the 
Brethren not gone. 3. When Brethren meet without Stran- 
gers, but not in a liODGE. 4. In presence of Strangers not 
Masons, 5. At Home and in the Neighborhood. 6. Towards 
a strange Brother. 

I. CONCERNING GOD AND RELIGION. 

A Mason is obliged, by his tenure, to obey the moral 
law; and if he rightly understands the Art, he will never 
be a stupid Atheist, nor an irreligious Libertine. But 
though in ancient times Masons were charged in every 
country to be of the Religion of that country or nation, 
whatever it was, it is now thought more expedient 
only to oblige them to that Religion in which all men 
agree, leaving their particular opinions to themselves; 
that is, to be good men and true, or men of honor and 
honesty, by whatever denominations or persuasions they 
may be distinguished; whereby Masonry becomes the 
Center of Union, and the means of conciliating true 
Friendship among persons that must have remained at 
a perpetual distance. 

n. OF THE CIVIL MAGISTRATE, SUPREME AND SUBORDINATE. 

A Mason is a peaceable subject to the civil powers 
jpherever he resides or works, and is never to be con- 
cerned in plots and conspiracies against the peace and 
welfare of the nation, nor to behave himself undutifully 
to inferior magistrates; for as Masonry hath been always 
injured by war, bloodshed, and confusion, so ancient 
kings and princes have been much disposed to encour- 
age the Craftsmen, because of their peaceableness and 
loyalty, whereby they practically answered the cavils of 
their adversaries, and promoted the honor of the Fra- 
ternity, who ever flourished in times of peace. So that 



244 MASONIC TEXT- BOOK. 

if a brother should be a rebel against the State, he is 
not to be countenanced in his rebellion, however he may 
be pitied as an unhappy man, and, if convicted of no 
other crime, though the loyal brotherhood must and 
ought to disown his rebellion, and give no umbrage or 
ground of political jealousy to the government for the 
time being, they cannot expel him from the Lodge, and 
his relation to it remains indefeasible. 

in. OF LODGES. 

A Lodge is a place where Masons assemble and work. 
Hence that Assembly, or duly organized Society of Ma- 
sons, is called a Lodge, and every Brother ought to 
belong to one, and to be subject to its by-laws and the 
General Kegulations. It is either particular or general, 
and will be best understood by attending it, and by the 
Kegulations of the General or Grand Lodge hereunto 
annexed. In ancient times, no Master or Fellow could 
be absent from it, especially when warned to appear 
at it, without incurring a severe censure, until it ap- 
peared to the Master and Wardens that pure necessity 
hindered him. 

The persons admitted members of a Lodge must be 
good and true men, fi'ee-born, and of mature and dis- 
creet age; no bondmen, no women, no immoral or 
scandalous men, but of good report. 

IV. OF MASTEKS, WARDENS, FELLOWS, AND APPEENTICES. 

All preferment among Masons is grounded upon real 
worth and personal merit only; that so the lords may 
be well served, the brethren not put to shame, nor the 
Royal Craft despised. Therefore no Master or Warden 
is chosen by seniority, but for his merit. It is impossi- 
ble to describe these things in writing, and every 



MASONIC JURISPRUDENCE. 245 

Brother must attend in his place, and learn them in a 
way peculiar to this Fraternity: Only candidates may 
know that no Master should take an Apprentice, unless 
he has sufficient employment for him, and unless he be 
a perfect youth, having no maim or defect in his body, 
that may render him incapable of learning the art of 
serving his Master's Loed, and of being made a Brother y 
and then a Fellow Craft in due time, even after he has 
served such a term of years as the custom of the country 
directs; and that he should be descended of honest 
parents; that so, when otherwise qualified, he may 
arrive to the honor of being the Warden, and then the 
Master of the Lodge, the Grand Warden, and at length 
the Grand Master of all the Lodges, according to his 
merit. 

No Brother can be a Warden until he has passed the 
part of a Fellow Craft; nor a Master until he has acted 
as a "Warden, nor Grand Warden until he has been 
Master of a Lodge, nor Grand Master, unless he has 
been a Fellow Craft before his election, who is also to 
be nobly born, or a gentleman of the best fashion, or 
some eminent scholar, or some curious architect or 
other artist, descended of honest parents, and who is of 
singular great merit in the opinion of the Lodges. And 
for the better, and easier, and more honorable discharge 
of his office, the Grand Master has a power to choose 
his own Deputy Grand Master, who must be then, or 
must have been formerly, the Master of a particular 
Lodge, and has the privilege of acting whatever the 
Grand Master, his Principal, should act, unless the said 
Principal be present, or interpose his authority by a 
letter. 

These rulers and governors — supreme and subordi- 
nate- of the ancient Lodge, are to be obeyed in their 



246 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

respective stations by all the Brethren, according to the 
old Charges and Regulations, with all humility, reve- 
rence, love, and alacrity. 

V. OF THE MANAGEMENT OF THE CRAFT IN WORKING. 

All Masons shall work honestly on working-days, 
that they may live creditably on holy days; and the 
time appointed by the law of the land, or confirmed by 
custom, shall be observed. 

The most expert of the Fellow Craftsmen shall be 
chosen or appointed the Master or Overseer of the 
Lord's work; who is to be called Master by those that 
work under him. The Craftsmen are to avoid all ill 
language, and to call each other by no disobliging name, 
but Brother or Fellow, and to behave themselves cour- 
teously within and without the Lodge. 

The Master knowing himself to be able of cunning, 
shall undertake the Lord's work as reasonably as possi- 
ble, and truly dispend his goods as if they were his own; 
nor to give more wages to any Brother or Apprentice 
than he really may deserve. 

Both the Master and the Masons receiving their wages 
justly, shall be faithful to the Lord, and honestly finish 
their work, whether task or journey; nor put the work 
to task that hath been accustomed to journey. 

None shall discover envy at the prosperity of a 
Brother, nor supplant him, or put him out of his work, 
if he be capable to finish the same: for no man can 
finish another's work so much to the Lord's profit, 
unless he be thoroughly acquainted with the designs 
and drafts of him that began it. 

When a Fellow Craftsman is chosen Warden of the 
work under the Master, he shall be true both to Master 
and Fellows, shall carefully oversee the work in the 



MASONIC JURISPEUDENCE. 247 

Master's absence to the Lord's profit; and his Brethren 
shall obey him. 

All Masons employed shall meekly receive their 
wages, without murmuring or mutiny, and not desert 
the Master till the work is finished. 

A younger Brother shall be instructed in working, to 
prevent spoiling the materials for want of judgment, 
and for increasing and continuing of Brotherly Love. 

All the tools used in working shall be approved by 
the Grand Lodge. 

No laborer shall be employed in the proper work of 
Masonry; nor shall Free Masons work with those that 
are not free, without an urgent necessity; nor shall 
they teach laborers alid unaccepted Masons as they 
should teach a Brother or Fellow. 

VI. or BEHAVIOR. 

1. — In the Lodge while Constituted. 

You are not to hold private committees or separate 
conversation, without leave from the Master, nor to 
talk of anything impertinent or unseemly, nor interrupt 
the Master or Wardens, or any Brother speaking to the 
Master: Nor behave yourself ludicrously or jestingly 
while the Lodge is engaged in what is serious and 
solemn; nor use any unbecoming language upon any 
pretence whatsoever; but to pay due reverence to your 
Master, Wardens, and Fellows, and put them to worship. 

If any complaint be brought, the Brother found 
guilty shall stand to the award and determination of 
the Lodge, who are the proper and competent judges 
of all such controversies, (unless you carry it by appeal 
to the Grand Lodge,) and to whom they ought to be 
referred, unless a Lord's work be hindered the mean 



248 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

while, in which case a particular reference may be 
made; but you must never go to law about what con- 
cerneth Masonry, without an absolute necessity, appar- 
ent to the Lodge. 

2. — Behavior after the Lodge is over, and the Brethren not gone. 

You may enjoy yourselves with innocent mirth, treat- 
ing one another according to ability, but avoiding all 
excess, or forcing any Brother to eat or drink beyond 
his inclination, or hindering him from going when his 
occasions call him, or doing or saying anything offensive, 
or that may forbid an easy and free conversation; for 
that would blast our harmony, and defeat our laudable 
purposes. Therefore no private piques or quarrels 
must be brought within the door of the Lodge, far less 
any quarrels about religion, or nations, or State policy, 
we being only, as Masons, of the CathoHc religion 
above mentioned; we are also of all nations, tongues, 
kindreds, and languages, and are resolved against all 
politics, as what never yet conduced to the welfare of 
the Lodge, nor ever will. This Charge has been always 
strictly enjoined and observed; but especially ever sinco 
the Reformation in Britain, or the dissent and secession 
of these nations from the communion of Rome. 

3. — Behavior when Brethren meet without Strangers, hut not in a 
Lodge formed. 

You are to salute one another in a courteous manner, 
as you will be instructed, calling each other Brother, 
freely giving mutual instruction as shall be thought 
expedient, without being overseen or overheard, and 
without encroaching upon each other, or derogating 
from that respect which is due to any Brother, were he 
not a Mason: for though all Masons are as Brethren 



IdASONIG JURISPRUDENCE. 249 

upon the same Level, yet Masonry takes no honor from 
a man that he had before; nay, rather it adds to his 
honor, especially if he has deserved well of the Brother- 
hood, who must give honor to whom it is due, and avoid 
ill manners. 

4 — Behavior in Presence of Strangers not Masons. 

You shall be cautious in your words and carriage, 
that the most penetrating stranger shall not be able to 
discover or find out what is not proper to be intimated; 
and sometimes you shall divert a discourse, and manage 
it prudently for the honor of the "Worshipful Fraternity. 

5. — Behavior at Home and in your Neighborhood. 

You are to act as becomes a moral and wise man, 
particularly not to let your family, friends and 
neighbors know the concerns of the Lodge, etc., but 
wisely to consult your own honor, and that of the 
Ancient Brotherhood, for reasons not to be mentioned 
here. You must also consult your health, by not con- 
tinuing together too late, or too long from home, after 
Lodge hours are past; and by avoiding of gluttony or 
drunkenness, that your families be not neglected or 
injured, and you disabled from working. 

6. — Behavior towards a Strange Brother. 

You are cautiously to examine him, in such a method 
as prudence shall direct you, that you may not be im- 
posed upon by an ignorant false pretender, whom you 
are to reject with contempt and derision, and beware of 
giving him any hints of knowledge. 

But if you discover him to be a true and genuine 
Brother, you are to respect him accordingly; and if he 
is in want, you must relieve him, if you can, or else 
11* 



250 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

direct him how he may be relieved. You must employ 
him some days, or else recommend him to be employed. 
But you are not charged to do beyond your ability, 
only to prefer a poor Brother, that is a good man and 
true, before any other poor people in the same circum- 
stances. 

Finally, All these Charges you are to observe, and 
also those that shall be communicated to you in another 
way; cultivating Brotherly Love, the foundation and 
cape-stone, the cement and glory of this ancient Fra- 
ternity; avoiding all wrangling and quarreling, all 
slander and backbiting, nor permitting others to slander 
any honest Brother, but defending his character, and 
doing him all good offices, as far as is consistent with 
your honor and safety, and no farther. And if any of 
them do you injury, you must apply to your own or his 
Lodge, and from thence you may appeal to the Grand 
Lodge at the quarterly communication, and from thence 
to the Annual Grand Lodge, as has been the ancient 
laudable conduct of our forefathers in every nation; 
never taking a legal course, but when the case cannot 
be otherwise decided, and patiently listening to the 
honest and friendly advice of Master and Fellows, when 
they would prevent your going to law with strangers, 
or would excite you to put a sjDeedy period to all law- 
suits, that so you may mind the affair of Masonry with 
the more alacrity and success; but with respect to 
Brothers or Fellows at law, the Master and Brethren 
should kindly offer their mediation, which ought to bo 
thankfully submitted to by the contending Brethren; 
and if that submission is impracticable, they must, how- 
ever, carry on their process, or lawsuit, without wrath 
and rancor, (not in the common way,) saying or doing 



MASONIC JUKISPRUDENCE. 251 

nothing which may hinder Brotherly Love, and good 
offices to be renewed and continued; that all may see 
the benign influence of Masonry, as all true Masons 
have done from the beginning of the world, and will do 
to the end of time. Amen. So mote it be. 



GEN"EIIAL REGULATIONS. 

Compiled first by Mr. Geoege Patke, Anno 1720, when he was 
Grand Master, and approved by the Grand Lodge on St. John 
Baptist's Day, Anno 1721, at Stationer's Hall, London; when 
the most noble Prince John, Duke of Montagu, was unanimously 
chosen our Grand Master for the year ensuing; who chose John 
Beal, M. D., his Deputy Grand Master; and Mr. Josiah Ville- 
NEAU and Mr. Thomas Moeeis, Jun. , were chosen by the Lodge 
Grand Wardens. And now, by the command of our said Eight 
Worshipful Grand Master M 3ntagu, the Author of this book has 
compared them with, and reduced them to the ancient Records 
and immemorial Usages of the Fraternity, and digested them 
into this new method, with several proper Explications, for the 
use of the Lodges in and about London and Westminster. 

I. The Grand Master or his Deputy hath authority 
and right not only to be present in any true Lodge, but 
also to preside wherever he is, with the Master of the 
Lodge on his left hand, and to order his Grand War- 
dens to attend him, who are not to act in particular 
Lodges as Wardens, but in his presence, and at his 
command; because there the Grand Master may com- 
mand the Wardens of that Lodge, or any other Brethi'en 
he pleaseth, to attend and act as his Wardens pro 
tempore. 

IL The Master of a particular Lodge Las the right 
and authority of congregating the members of his Lodge 
into a Chapter at pleasure, upon any emergency or oc- 



•252 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

currence, as well as to appoint the time and place of 
their usual forming; and in case of sickness, death, or 
necessary absence of the Master, the Senior Warden 
shall act as Master pro tempore, if no Brother is present 
who has been Master of that Lodge before; for in that 
case the absent Master's authority reverts to the last 
Master then present; though he cannot act until the 
said Senior Warden has once congregated the Lodge, 
or, in his absence, the Junior Warden. 

IIL The Master of each particular Lodge, or one of 
the Wardens, or some other Brother by his order, shall 
keep a book containing their By-laws, the names of 
their members, with a list of all the Lodges in town, 
and the usual times and places of their forming, and 
all their transactions that are proper to be written. 

IV. No Lodge shall make more than five new Breth- 
ren at one time, nor any man under the age of 
twenty-five, who must be also his own master, unless by 
a Dispensation from the Grand Master or his Deputy. 

V. No man can be made or admitted a member of a 
particular Lodge, without previous notice one month 
before given to the said Lodge, in order to make due 
inquiry into the reputation and capacity of the candi- 
date; unless by the Dispensation aforesaid. 

VI. But no man can be entered a Brother in any par- 
ticular Lodge, or admitted to be a member thereof, 
without the unanimous consent of all the members of 
that Lodge then present when the candidate is pro- 
posed, and their consent is formally asked by the 
Master; and they are to signify their consent or dissent 
in their own prudent way, either virtually or in form, 
but with unanimity: Nor is this inherent privilege sub- 
ject to a dispensation; because the members of a par- 
ticular Lodge are the best judges of it; and if a frac- 



MASONIC JURISPRUDENCE. 253 

tious member should be imposed on them, it might 
spoil their harmony or hinder their freedom; or even 
break or disperse the Lodge, which ought to be avoided 
by all good and true Brethren. 

VII. Every new Brother at his making is decently to 
clothe the Lodge — that is, all the Brethren present — 
and to deposit something for the relief of indigent and 
decayed Brethren, as the candidate shall think fit 
to bestow, over and above the small allowance stated 
by the By-laws of that particular Lodge ; which charity 
shall be lodged with the Master or Wardens, or the 
cashier, if the members think fit to choose one. And 
the candidate shall also solemnly promise to submit to 
the Constitutions, the Charges and Regulations, and to 
such other good Usages as shall be intimated to them 
in time and place convenient. 

Vm. No set or number of Brethren shall withdraw 
or separate themselves from the Lodge in which they 
were made Brethren, or were afterwards admitted 
members, unless the Lodge becomes too numerous; nor 
even then without a dispensation from the Grand 
Master or his Deputy; and when they are thus se- 
parated, they must either immediately join themselves 
to such other Lodge as they shall like best, with the 
unanimous consent of that other Lodge to which they 
go, (as above regulated,) or else they must obtain the 
Grand Master's Warrant to join in forming a new 
Lodge. 

If any set or number of Masons shall take upon them- 
selves to form a Lodge without the Grand Master's 
Warrant, the regular Lodges are not to countenance 
them, nor own them as fair Brethren and duly formed, 
nor approve of their acts and deeds; but must treat 
them as rebels, until they humble themselves, as the 



254 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

Grand Master shall in his prudence direct, and until he 
approve of them by his Warrant, which must be signi- 
fied to other Lodges, as the custom is when a new Lodge 
is to be registered in the List of Lodges. 

IX. But if any Brother so far misbehave himself as 
to render his Lodge uneasy, he shall be twice duly ad- 
monished by the Master or Wardens in a formed Lodge; 
and if he will not refrain his imprudence, and obediently 
submit to the advice of the Brethren, and reform what 
gives them offence, he shall be dealt with according to 
the By-laws of that particular Lodge, or else in such a 
manner as the Quarterly Communication shall in their 
great prudence think fit; for which a new Regulation 
may be afterwards made. 

X. The majority of every particular Lodge, when con- 
gTegated, shall have the privilege of giving instructions 
to their Master and Wardens, before the assembling of 
the Grand Chapter or Lodge, at the three Quarterly 
Communications hereafter mentioned, and of the An- 
nual Grand Lodge too; because their Masters and 
Wardens are their representatives, and are supposed to 
speak their mind. 

XL All particular Lodges are to observe the same 
Usages as much as possible ; in order to which, and for 
cultivating a good understanding among Freemasons, 
some members out of every Lodge shall be deputed to 
visit the other Lodges as often as shall be thought con- 
Tenient. 

XII. The Grand Lodge consists of, and is formed by 
the Masters and Wardens of all the regular particular 
Lodges upon record, with the Grand Master at their 
head, and his Deputy on his left hand, and the Grand 
Wardens in their proper places, and must have a Quar- 
terly Communication about Michaelmas, Christmas, and 



MASONIC JUKISPRUDENCE. 255 

Lady-day, in some convenient place, as the Grand 
Master shall appoint, where no Brother shall be pre- 
sent who is not at that time a member thereof, without 
a Dispensation; and while he stays, he shall not be al- 
lowed to vote, nor even give his opinion, without leave 
of the Grand Lodge, asked and given, or unless it be 
duly asked by the said Lodge. 

All matters are to be determined in the Grand Lodge 
by a majority of votes, each member having one vote, 
and the Grand Master having two votes, unless the said 
Lodge leave any particular thing to the determination 
of the Grand Master for the sake of expedition. 

XTTT. At the said Quarterly Communication, all mat- 
ters that concern the Fraternity in general, or particular 
Lodges, or single Brethren, are quietly, sedately, and 
maturely to be discoursed of and transacted: Appren- 
tices must be admitted Masters and Fellow Craft only 
here, unless by a Dispensation. Here also all dif- 
ferences that cannot be made up and accommodated 
privately, nor by a particular Lodge, are to be seriously 
considered and decided: And if any Brother thinks 
himself aggrieved by the decision of this Board, he may 
appeal to the Annual Grand Lodge next ensuing, and 
leave his appeal in writing with the Grand Master, or 
his Deputy, or the Grand Wardens. 

Here, also, the Master or the Wardens of each par- 
ticular Lodge shall bring and produce a list of such 
members as have been made, or even admitted, in their 
particular Lodges since the last Communication of the 
Grand Lodge : and there shall be a book kept by the 
Grand Master or his Deputy, or rather by some Brother 
whom the Grand Lodge shall appoint for Secretary, 
wherein shall be recorded all the Lodges, with their 
usual times and places of forming, and the names of all 



256 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

the members of each Lodge; and all the affah'S of the 
Grand Lodge that are proper to be written. 

They shall also consider of the most prudent and 
effectual methods of collecting and disposing of what 
money shall be given to or lodged with them in Charity, 
towards the relief only of any true Brother fallen into 
poverty or decay, but of none else: But every particular 
Lodge shall dispose of their own Charity for poor 
Brethren, according to their own By-laws, until it be 
agreed by all the Lodges (in a new Kegulation) to 
carry in the Charity collected by them to the Grand 
Lodge, at the Quarterly or Annual Communication, in 
order to make a common stock of it, for the more hand- 
some relief of poor Brethren. 

They shall also appoint a Treasurer, a Brother of 
good worldly substance, who shall be a member of the 
Grand Lodge by virtue of his office, and shall be always 
present, and have power to move to the Grand Lodge 
anything, especially what concerns his office. To him 
shall be committed all money raised for Charity, or 
for any other use of the Grand Lodge, which he shall 
write down in a book, with the respective ends and 
uses for which the several sums are intended; and shall 
expend and disburse the same by such a certain order, 
signed, as the Grand Lodge shall afterwards agree to 
in a new Regulation: But he shall not vote in choosing 
a Grand Master or Wardens, though in every other 
transaction. As in like manner the Secretary shall be 
a member of the Grand Lodge by virtue of his office, 
and vote in everything, except in choosing a Grand 
Master or Wardens. 

The Treasurer and Secretary shall have each a clerk, 
who must be a Brother and Fellow Craft, but never 



MASONIC JURISPKUDENCE. 257 

must be a member of the Grand Lodge, nor speak 
without being allowed or desired. 

The Grand Master, or his Deputy, shall always com- 
mand the Treasurer and Secretary, with their clerks 
and books, in order to see how matters go on, and to 
know what is expedient to be done upon any emergent 
occasion. 

Another Brother (who must be a Fellow Craft) should 
be appointed to look after the door of the Grand Lodge, 
but shall be no member of it. 

But these offices may be farther explained by a new 
Regulation, when the necessity and expediency of them 
may more appear than at present to the Fraternity. 

XrV. If at any Grand Lodge, stated or occasional, 
quarterly or annual, the Grand Master and his Deputy 
should be both absent, then the present Master of a 
Lodge, that has been the longest a Freemason, shall 
take the chair, and preside as Grand Master pro tem- 
pore, and shall be vested with all his power and honor 
for the time : provided there is no Brother present that 
has been Grand Master formerly, or Deputy Grand 
Master; for the last Grand Master present, or else the 
last Deputy present, should always of right take place 
in the absence of the present Grand Master and hi& 
Deputy. 

XV. Li the Grand Lodge none can act as "Wardens 
but the Grand Wardens themselves, if present; and, if 
absent, the Grand Master, or the person who presides 
in his place, shall order private Wardens to act as 
Grand Wardens pro tempore, whose places are to be 
supplied by two Fellow Craft of the same Lodge, called 
forth to act, or sent thither by the particular Master 
thereof; or if by him omitted, then they shall be called 



258 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

by the Grand Master, that so the Grand Lodge may iD€ 
always complete. 

XVI. The Grand Wardens, or any others, are first to 
advise with the Deputy about the affairs of the Lodge or 
of the Brethren, and not to apply to the Grand Master 
without the knowledge of the Deputy, unless he refuse 
his concurrence in any certain necessary affaii-; in which 
case, or in case of any difference between the Deputy 
and the Grand Wardens, or other Brethren, both parties 
are to go by concert, to the Grand Master, who can 
easily decide the controversy and make up the differ- 
ence by virtue of his great authority. 

The Grand Master should receive no intimation of 
business concerning Masonry but from his Deputy first, 
except in such certain cases as his Worship can well 
judge of; for if the application to the Grand Master be 
irregular, he can easily order the Grand Wardens, or 
any other Brethren thus applying, to wait upon his 
Deputy, who is to prepare the business speedily, and to 
lay it orderly before his Worship. 

XVn. No Grand Master, Deputy Grand Master, 
Grand Wardens, Treasurer, Secretary, or whoever acts 
for them, or in their stead pro tempore, can at the same 
time be the Master or Warden of a particular Lodge; 
but as soon as any of them has honorably discharged 
his Grand OfSce, he returns to that post or station in 
his particular Lodge, from which he was called to 
of&ciate above. 

XVin. If the Deputy Grand Master be sick, or 
necessarily absent, the Grand Master may choose any 
Fellow Craft he please to be his Deputy pro tempore : 
But he that is chosen Deputy at the Grand Lodge, and 
the Grand Wardens too, cannot be discharged without 
thp cause fairly apjDear to the majority of the Grand 



MASONIC JURISPRUDENCE. 259 

Lodge; and the Grand Master, if lie is uneasy, may call 
a Grand Lodge on purpose to lay the cause before them, 
and to have their advice and concurrence: in which 
case, the majority of the Grand Lodge, if they cannot 
reconcile the Master and his Deputy or his "Wardens, 
are to concur in allowing the Master to discharge his 
said Deputy or his said Wardens, and to choose another 
Deputy immediately; and the said Grand Lodge shall 
choose other Wardens in that case, that harmony and 
peace may be preserved. 

XIX. If the Grand Master should abuse his power, 
and render himself unworthy of the obedience and sub- 
jection of the Lodges, he shall be treated in a way and 
manner to be agreed upon in a new Regulation; because 
hitherto the Ancient Fraternity have had no occasion 
for it, their former Grand Masters having all behaved 
themselves worthy of that honorable office. 

XX. The Grand Master, with his Deputy and 
Wardens, shall (at least once) go round and visit all the 
Lodges about town during his mastership. 

XXI. If the Grand Master die during his mastership, 
or by sickness, or by being beyond sea, or any other 
way should be rendered incapable of discharging his 
office, the Deputy, or, in his absence, the Senior Grand 
Warden, or, in his absence, the Junior, or, in his 
absence, any three present Masters of Lodges, shall join 
to congregate the Grand Lodge immediately, to advise 
together ujDon that emergency, and to send two of their 
number to invite the last Grand Master to resume his 
office, which now in course reverts to him ; or, if he 
refuse, then the next last, and so backward. But if no 
former Grand Master can be found, then the Deputy 
shall act as Principal until another is chosen ; or, if 
th^re be no Deputy, then the oldest Master. 



260 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

XXn. The Brethren of all the Lodges in and abont 
London and Westminster shall meet at an Annual Com- 
munication and Feast, in some convenient place, on St, 
John Baptist's Day, or else on St. John Evangelist's Day, 
as the Grand Lodge shall think fit by a new Begulation, 
having of late years met on St. John Baptist's Day; 
Provided, 

The majority of the Masters and Wardens, with the 
Grand Master, his Deputy and Wardens, agree at their 
Quarterly Communications, three months before, that 
there shall be a Feast and a General Communication of 
all the Brethren: For if either the Grand Master, or 
the majority of the particular Masters, are against it, it 
must be dropped for that time. 

But whether there shall be a Feast for all the Brethren 
or not, yet the Grand Lodge must meet in some con- 
venient place annually on St. John's day; or, if it be 
Sunday, then on the next day, in order to choose every 
year a new Grand Master, Deputy and Wardens. 

XXin. If it be thought expedient, and the Grand 
Master, with the majority of the Masters and Wardens, 
agree to hold a Grand Feast, according to the ancient 
laudable custom of Masons, then the Grand Wardens 
shall have the care of preparing the tickets, sealed with 
the Grand Master's, seal, of disposing of the tickets, of 
receiving the money for the tickets, of buying the 
materials of the Feast, of finding out a proper and con- 
venient place to feast in, and of every other thing that 
concerns the entertainment. 

But, that the work may not be too burdensome to the 
two Grand Wardens, and that all matters may be 
expeditiously and safely managed, the Grand Master or 
his Deputy shall have power to nominate and appoint 



MASONIC JUBISPKUDENCE. 261 

a certain number of Stewards, as his "Worship shall 
think fit, to act in concert with the two Grand Wardens; 
all things relating to the Feast being decided amongst 
them by a majority of voices, except the Grand Master 
or his Deputy interpose by a particular direction or 
appointment. 

XXTV. The Wardens and Stewards shall in due time 
wait upon the Grand Master or his Deputy for direc- 
tions and orders about the premises; but if his Worship 
and his Deputy are sick, or necessarily absent, they 
shall call together the Masters and Wardens of Lodges 
to meet on purpose for their advice and orders; or else 
they may take the matter wholly upon themselves, and 
do the best they can. 

The Grand Wardens and the Stewards are to account 
for all the money they receive, or expend, to the Grand 
Lodge, after dinner, or when the Grand Lodge shall 
think fit to receive their accounts. 

If the Grand Master pleases, he may in due time 
summon all the Masters and W^ardens of Lodges, to 
consult with them about ordering the Grand Feast, and 
about any emergency or accidental thing relating 
thereunto, that may require advice, or else to take it 
upon himself altogether. 

XXV. The Masters of Lodges shall each appoint one 
experienced and discreet Fellow Craft of his Lodge, to 
compose a committee, consisting of one from eveiy 
Lodge, who shall meet to receive, in a convenient apart- 
ment, every person that brings a ticket, and shall have 
power to discourse him, if they think fit, in order to 
admit him or debar him, as they shall see cause : Pro- 
vided they send no man away before they have acquainted 
all the Brethren within doors with the reasons thereof, 



262 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

to avoid mistakes; that so no true Brother may be 
debarred, nor a false brother or mere pretender ad- 
mitted. This committee must meet very early on St. 
John's Day at the place, even before any persons come 
with tickets. 

XXVI. The Grand Master shall appoint two or more 
TRUSTY Brethren to be porters or door-keepers, who are 
also to be early at the place, for some good reasons, and 
who are to be at the command of the committee. 

XXVII. The Grand Wardens or the Stewards shall 
appoint beforehand such a number of brethren to serve 
at table as they think fit and proper for that work; and 
they may advise with the Masters and Wardens of 
Lodges about the most proper persons, if they please, 
or may take in such by their recommendation ; for none 
are to serve that day but Free and Accepted Masons, 
that the communication may be free and harmonious. 

XXVm. All the members of the Grand Lodge must 
be at the place long before dinner, with the Grand 
Master or his Deputy at their head, who shall retire, 
and form themselves. And this is done in order — 

1. To receive any appeals, duly lodged, as above 
regulated, that the appellant may be heard, and the 
affair maybe amicably decided before dinner, if possible; 
but if it cannot, it must oe delayed till after the new 
Grand Master is elected; and if it cannot be decided 
after dinner, it may be delayed, and referred to a par- 
ticular committee, that shall quietly adjust it, and make 
report to the next Quarterly Communication, that 
Brotherly Love may be preserved. 

2. To prevent any clifference or disgust which may 
be feared to arise that day, that no interruption may 
be given to the harmony and pleasure of the Grand 
Feast. 



MASONIC JURISPKUDENCE. 263 

3. To consult about whatever concerns the decency 
and decorum of the Grand Assembly, and to prevent 
all indecency and ill manners, the assembly being 
promiscuous. 

4. To receive and consider of any good motion, or 
any momentous and important affair, that shall be 
brought from the particular Lodges by their represent'- 
atives, their several Masters and Wardens. 

XXIX. After these things are discussed, the Grand 
Master and his Deputy, the Grand Wardens or the 
Stewards, the Secretary, the Treasurer, the clerks, and 
every other person shall withdraw, and leave the Mas- 
ters and Wardens of the particular Lodges alone, in 
order to consult amicably about electing a new Grand 
Master, or continuing the present, if they have not done 
it the day before; and if they are unanimous for con- 
tinuing the present Grand Master, his Worship shall be 
called in, and humbly desired to do the Fraternity the 
honor of ruling them for the year ensuing: And after 
dinner it will be known whether he accepts of it or not: 
for it should not be discovered but by the election itself. 

XXX. Then the Masters and Wardens, and all the 
Brethren, may converse promiscuously, or as they 
please to sort together, until the dinner is coming in, 
when every brother takes his seat at table. 

XXXL Some time after dinner, the Grand Lodge is 
formed, not in the retirement, but in the presence of 
all the Brethren, who yet are not members of it, and 
must not therefore speak until they are desired and 
allowed. 

XXXII. If the Grand IMaster of last year has con- 
sented with the Master and Wardens in private, before 
dinner, to continue for the year ensuing, then one of 



264 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

the Grand Lodge, deputed for that purpose, shall repre- 
sent to all the Brethren his Worship's good government, 
etc. And, turning to him, shall, in the name of the 
Grand Lodge, humbly request him to do the Fraternity 
the great honor, (if nobly born, if not,) the great kind- 
ness of continuing to be their Grand Master for the 
year ensuing. And his Worship declaring his consent 
by a bow or a speech, as he pleases, the said deputed 
member of the Grand Lodge shall proclaim him Grand 
Master, and all the members of the Lodge shall salute 
him in due form. And all the Brethren shall for a few 
minutes have leave to declare their satisfaction, pleasure, 
and congratulation. 

XXXIII. But if either the Master and Wardens have 
not in private, this day before dinner, nor the day 
before, desired the last Grand Master to continue in the 
mastership another year; or if he, when desired, has 
not consented; then 

The last Grand Master shall nominate his successor 
for the year ensuing, who, if unanimously approved by 
the Grand Lodge, and, if there present, shall be pro- 
claimed, saluted, and congratulated the new Grand 
Master, as above hinted, and immediately installed by 
the last Grand Master, according to Usage. 

XXXIV. But if that nomination is not unanimously 
approved, the new Grand Master shall be chosen 
immediately by ballot, every Master and Warden writing 
his man's name, and the last Grand Master writing 
his man's name too; and the man whose name the last 
Grand Master shall first take out, casually or by chance, 
shall be Grand Master for the year ensuing; and, if 
present, he shall be proclaimed, saluted, and congratu- 
lated, as above hinted, and forthwith installed by the 
last Grand Master, according to Usage. 



MASONIC JUKISPRUDENCE. 265 

XXXV. The last Grand Master thus contiEaed, or 
the NEW Grand Master thus installed, shall next 
nominate and appoint his Deputy Grand Master, either 
the last or anew one, who shall be also declared, saluted, 
and congratulated, as above hinted. 

The Grand Master shall also nominate the new Grand 
Wardens, and, if unanimously approved by the Grand 
Lodge, shall be declared, saluted, and congTatulated as 
above hinted; but if not, they shall be chosen by ballot, 
in the same way as the Grand Master: As the Wardens 
of private Lodges are also to be chosen by ballot in 
each Lodge, if the members thereof do not agree to 
theu' Master's nomination. 

XXXYI. But if the Brother whom the present Grand 
Master shall nominate for his successor, or whom the 
majority of the Grand Lodge shall happen to choose by 
ballot, is, by sickness or other necessary occasion, 
absent from the Grand Feast, he cannot be proclaimed 
the new Grand Master, unless the old Grand Master, 
or some of the Masters and Wardens of the Grand 
Lodge can vouch, upon the honor of a Brother, that 
the said person, so nominated or chosen, will readily 
accept of the said office; in which case the old Grand 
Master shall act as proxy, and shall nominate the 
Deputy and Wardens in his name, and in his name also 
receive the usual honors, homage, and congratulation. 

XXXVn. Then the Grand Master shall allow any 
Brother Fellow Craft, or Apprentice to speak, directing 
his discourse to his Worship; or to make any motion 
for the good of the Fraternity, which shall be either 
immediately considered and finished, or else referred 
to the consideration of the Grand Lodge at their next 
communication, stated or occasicmal. When that is 

12 



266 MASONIC TEXT-BCOK. 

XXXVIII. The Giand Master or his Deputy, or some 
Brother a]Dpointed by him, shall harangue all the 
Brethren, and give them good advice : And, lastly, after 
some other transactions, that cannot be written in any 
language, the Brethren niay go away or stay longer, a& 
they please. 

XXXIX. Every Annual Grand Lodge has an inherent 
power and authority to make new Kegulations, or to 
alter these, for the real benefit of this ancient Frater- 
nity: Provided always that the old Landmarks be care- 
fully preserved, and that such alterations and new 
Regulations be proposed and agreed to at the third 
quarterly communication preceding the Annual Grand 
Feast; and that they be offered also to the perusal of all 
the Brethren before dinner, in writing, even of the 
youngest Apprentice; the approbation and consent of 
the majority of all the Brethren present being absolutely 
necessary to make the same binding and obligatory; 
which must, after dinner, and after the new Grand 
Master is installed, be solemnly desired; as it was 
desired and obtained for these Regulations, when pro- 
posed by the Grand Lodge, to about 150 Brethren, on 
St. John Baptist's Day, 1721. 



LAWS RELATING TO CANDIDATES. 

QUALIFICATIONS. 

" The persons admitted members of a Lodge must be 
good and true men, free-horn, and of mature and discreet 
age; no bondman, no woman, no immoral or scandalous 
man, but of good report The person admitted should 
also be perfect, having no maim or defect in his body,, 
that may render him incapable of learning the Art.** 



MASONIC JURISPRUDENCE. 267 

Upon these extracts, from the General Eegulations, 
we remark upon the qualifications of a candidate : 

1. He must be " a good man and true, no immoral or 
scandalous man, but of good report;" that is, he must 
be a man of good moral character and standing in the 
community, and should have some visible and honor- 
able means of earning a livelihood for himseK and those 
dependent upon him. 

2. He must be " of mature and discreet age." In this 
country, the age is fixed at twenty-one years. The cus- 
tom in Europe of admitting the son of a Mason, called a 
lewis, and members of the royal family, at the age of 
eighteen, does not prevail here ; but the rule requiring 
the apphcant to be at least twenty-one years of age, is 
rigidly observed. 

3. He must be a " man," as no woman can be admitted 
to the privileges of the Order. 

4. He must be " perfect, having no maim or defect in 
his body, that may render him incapable of learning 
the Art." 

The construction placed upon this requirement by the 
Grand Lodge of Tennessee, is contained in the resolu- 
tion adopted in 1865, providing "That Subordinate 
Lodges within this jurisdiction are instructed not to 
confer any degree in Masonry upon any individual who 
is physically or mentally incapable of earning a livelihood, 
or of receiving and imparting the ritual of Masonry.** If, 
from any mental incapacity, or any defect or deformity 
in his body, the applicant is rendered incapable "of 
learning the Art," or, in the language of the resolution, 
" of earning a livelihood, or of receiving and imparting 
the ritual of Masonry," he can on no account be ad- 
mitted, however worthy he may be, and notwithstand- 
ing it may be very desirable, in all other respects, to 



268 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

see him a member of the Order. No person should be 
made a Mason, unless it shall be manifest at the time of 
his apiolication that nothing as to his health, or his 
situation in other respects, will render him, or those 
dependent upon him, a charge upon the Institution. 

In addition to the foregoing, it is necessary that the 
applicant acknowledge and declare hi^ belief in the exist- 
ence of a Supreme Being; and that he not only seeks 
admission of his own free will and accord, but that he 
is not induced to do so on account of the solicitations of 
fi'iends, nor for mercenary or unworthy motives. 

He must reside within the juiisdiction, that is, nearest 
to the Lodge to which he ajoplies for admission, and 
must have so resided for the space of twelve months, 
unless he produces a certificate of good character and 
standing from the Lodge nearest his former place of 
residence. This rule must be strictly observed, and can 
be deviated from only by consent of the Lodge nearest 
the residence of the applicant. 

The applicant must sign a petition, in writing, recom- 
mended by two members of the Lodge, and it must be 
presented to and read at a stated meeting of the Lodge. 
Nothing in relation to the petition can be transacted at 
a special or called meeting. If the petition is received, 
the proper entry is made on the record, and a commit- 
tee of investigation appointed. The petition is now the 
property of the Lodge, and can only be withdrawn by 
unanimous consent. The committee, in the discharge 
of their duty, should vigilantly inquire and satisfy them- 
selves that the candidate is in possession of all the 
qualifications required, and thereby prepare themselves 
to submit a faithful as well as a correct report. 



MASONIC JUEISPRUDENCE. 269 

THE BALLOT. 

When the committee submit their report, whether 
favorable or unfavorable, a ballot is to be taken, which 
is the method by which the members of the Lodge ex- 
press their acceptance or rejection of an apphcant. The 
ballot must not be taken except at a stated meeting, nor 
unless the petition shall have been laid over for at least 
one month, or from a stated meeting in one month to a 
stated meeting in the month succeeding. 

A ballot must he taken, that every member may give an 
expression of opinion, and in order that this may be 
made without responsibility to any source, save that due 
to his own conscience. 

The ballot must be unanimous, for without this no can- 
didate can be accepted. 

All the members present must vote : It is the duty of 
every member to see that the unworthy are not ad- 
mitted, and in no other manner can the old regulation 
be complied with, which requires the unanimous con- 
sent of all present. 

The ballot must be secret: The purity and independence 
of the ballot can only in this manner be preserved. No 
brother has a right to expose his ballot, or to make 
known afterwards how he voted. 

An unfavorable ballot cannot be reconsidered : When the 
ballot is pronounced unfavorable, the petition must be 
declared rejected; the candidate is thus rendered ineli- 
gible to a second recommendation in the Lodge in 
which he was rejected, or any other Lodge, until the 
expiration of twelve months, unless the objectors shall, 
in open Lodge, and at a stated meeting, withdraw the 
objection, when another ballot may be had, after the 
petition shall have been presented at a previous stated 



270 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

meeting, either the one at which the objection was with- 
drawn or a subsequent one. No motion to reconsider a 
ballot can be entertained, but if the Master, before the 
declaration of the state of the ballot, and before any of 
the members who participated in it shall have left the 
Lodge, shall see fit, in order to avoid mistake, or for 
any other reason, to cause it to be passed again, or even 
oftener, it is his undoubted prerogative to do so. How- 
ever, after the second ballot, it is better, except in ex- 
traordinary cases, to make the formal declaration of the 
rejection of the candidate. The same rule applies when 
a ballot is had on an appHcation for affiliation, or for 
advancement to a higher degree. Any member has the 
right to object to the conferring of a degree at any 
time, otherwise the harmony of the Lodge would be 
destroyed. 



THE LODGE. 

In the Ancient Charges, " a Lodge" is defined to be 
"aplxce where Masons assemble and work; hence that 
assembly or duly organized Society of Masons is called 
a Lodge, and every Brother ought to belong to one, 
and to be subject to its by-laws and the General 
Regulations." 

Prior to the revival of Masonry in 1717, a Lodge was 
simply an assembly of Masons for the purpose of 
" making" one or more profanes, which being accom- 
plished the assembly was dissolved. But in 1717, a 
regulation was adopted, declaring, " that the privilege 
of assembling as Masons should no longer be unlimited, 
but that it should be vested in certain Lodges, con- 
vened in certain places, and legally authorized by the 
Warrant of the Grand Master, and the consent of the 
Grand Lodo-e." 



MASONIC JURISPRUDENCE. 271 

There are two kinds of Lodges, tliat is, temporary 
and inchoate bodies termed " Lodges under Dispensa- 
tion;" and permanent and perfect, or complete bodies, 
termed " Chartered or Warranted Lodges." 



LODGES UNDER DISPENSATION. 

When it is thought expedient to form a new Lodge, 
a petition for a Dispensation is presented to the Grand 
Master, or the Grand Lodge, which must be signed by 
at least seven Master Masons, who must be in good 
standing. There must be a good reason for the organ- 
ization of a Lodge at that time and place. The place 
of meeting must be designated, and the names of the 
first three officers stated. The petition must be recom- 
mended by the nearest Chartered Lodge, which must 
certify to the good moral character of the petitioners — 
that the officers proposed are qualified to confer the 
degrees and give the lectures properly; that the pro- 
posed location is favorable, and will not interfere 
materially with any other Lodge, and that the petition- 
ers have secured the use of a suitable room in which to 
hold their meetings. A Dispensation, when granted, is 
in force until the succeeding Annual Communication of 
the Grand Lodge, when, upon examination and apjoroval 
of the work of the Lodge, a Charter is ordered by the 
Grand Lodge ; and if this is not done, or the Dispensa- 
tion renewed, the Lodge ceases to exist. 

The powers of a Lodge under Dispensation, are such 
as may be prescribed by the local regulations in force in 
the jurisdiction where it may be located, or, in other 
words, by the authority under which they are formed. 
This is the only Masonic law appHcable to such organi- 



272 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

zations, being of modern date in their origin. In 
conformity with this view, the foregoing rules as to 
their formation are given as those prescribed by the 
Constitution and Regulations of the Grand Lodge of 
Tennessee, and the fi^llowing summary of the powers of 
such a Lodge, is presented, derived from the same 
source : 

It can hold no regular election, nor can its officers be 
installed. It cannot be constituted, consecrated, or 
dedicated. It can hold no public celebration without 
the consent of the Grand Master, but may bury the 
dead with the formalities of the Institution. 

It can make and affiliate Masons. The petitioners to 
whom the Dispensation is granted, as well the three 
officers named, as all the other members of the Lodge, 
are entitled to vote. It can adopt a code of by-laws, 
which must, of course, be submitted to the inspection 
of the Grand Lodge at its first annual meeting after 
their adoption. Master Masons, upon being raised in 
such a Lodge, thereupon become members thereof, and 
with the original members may be required to pay dues. 
It may try, suspend, or expel members, appoint all 
officers, except the Master and Wardens, dispose of its 
funds in purchasing necessaries and in charities, appoint 
and commission a representative to the Grand Lodge 
to look after its interests, and generally, it may exercise 
such other powers, and is liable to such other disabilities 
as may be prescribed by the Grand Lodge. 

The petitioners to whom a Dispensation is granted, 
need not demit from theii' Lodges, but may remain 
members thereof, until a Charter is granted the new 
Lodge, when they must withdraw from one of the 
Lodges. 



MASONIC JUEISPEUDENCE. 273 

CHARTERED LODGES. 

While tlie members of a Lodge to which a Charter 
has been granted adhere to their allegiance, and pay 
the contributions required, and observe the duties 
enjoined by the Constitution and Kegulations of the 
Grand Lodge, they have and may exercise all the rights, 
powers, and prerogatives to which Subordinate Lodges 
are entitled under the laws of Masonry. 

This Charter can be forfeited, and the Lodge dis- 
solved, in only two ways: By vote of the Grand Lodge, 
after due trial; or, By its voluntary surrender. 

The acts for which a Charter may be declared for- 
feited by vote of the Grand Lodge are : Contumacy to 
the authority of the Grand Master or Grand Lodge ; 
Departure from the original plan of Masonry and 
Ancient Landmarks; or. Disobedience to the Consti- 
tutions. 

The Charter may be surrendered by the voluntary 
act, or by consent of a majority of the Lodge, after 
due summons, unless the minority opposed to such sur- 
render consist of seven or more, because that being the 
number sufficient to receive, may retain the Charter. 

The Grand Master may, for cause, temporarily sus- 
pend the Charter of a Lodge, not to extend beyond the 
next Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge, and 
this suspension, for the time, arrests the work of the 
Lodge, and prevents its meetings, but does not affect 
the Masonic standing of its members. 

POWERS OF CHAETEEED LODGES. 
The powers and privileges of a Subordinate Lodge 
are such as are defined in its Charter, by the Consti- 
tution of the Grand Lodge, and the Ancient Landmarks, 
and General Regulations. They are divided into — 
12* 



274 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

1. Executive : In the direction and performance of its 
work, tinder the control of its Master, and in all other 
matters in aid of the Master, who has the primary 
executive power of a Lodge. 

2. Legislative: Embracing all matters relating to its 
internal concerns, not in derogation of the Ancient 
Landmarks, the Constitution and Regulations of the 
Grand Lodge, and its own particular By-Laws; and, 

3. Judicial: Embracing the exercise of discipline, and 
settlement of controversies between and over all its 
members, (except the Master,) and over all Masons and 
non-affiliated brethren within its jurisdiction, subject to 
an appeal to the Grand Lodge. 

From what has already been said, it will be seen 
that, in the beginning. Lodges were unrestricted by 
any superior authority, but that, at the formation of 
Grand Lodges, certain of their powers were surrendered 
for the general good, and that, while a portion were 
thus surrendered, certain others were reserved, and are 
inherent in the Lodge, not subject to dispensation or 
other act, either of the Grand Master or Grand Lodge. 
This distinction, which is an important one, must be 
kept in remembrance, in the decision of many questions 
that may be presented. 

" We believe in the simple doctrine that Subordinate 
Lodges are, as to many matters which have received 
the legislative action of Grand Lodges, sovereign 
bodies, and that any action which interferes with the 
sovereignty is, of necessity, illegal and void; and that, 
unless the reserved and inherent rights of Lodges are 
well defined and understood, the time will come when 
those rights will be extinguished, partly through direct 
legislation, and partly from the neglect, on the part of 
the subordinates, to assert and maintain them. The 



MASONIC JURISPRUDENCE. 275 

Lodge organization is the normal condition of the Fra- 
ternity; Grand Lodges the result of necessity, growing 
out of the wide-spread popularity and extension of the 
Listitution, and intended to preserve uniformity of doc- 
trine and practice by mutual consultation on the part of 
the representatives of the Subordinate Lodges. "While 
each remains in its own sphere of action, the result 
must continue to be, in the future, as it has been in the 
past, for the greatest good of the Craft. Let it, how- 
ever, be remembered, that the Grand Lodge acts by 
delegated powers, and that, so far as these powers are 
concerned, it must be supreme, but that the reserved 
powers of the Lodge are inherent, and cannot be inter- 
fered with by any act of the Grand Lodge; nay, more: 
we insist that these powers cannot be delegated, if the 
Lodge were so minded; for their possession by the sub- 
ordinate body is a Landmark — a fundamental principle — 
that no man or body of men can remove."* 

The powers of a Chartered Lodge are divided into 
Inhekent and Constitutional. 

The Inherent powers of a Lodge, and which are con- 
trolled only by the Ancient Landmarks, are : 

1. To decide who shaU be admitted members of 
or initiated therein, of such as may be properly 
qualified. 

2. To make Masons (not more than five at one 
meeting) of those it has decided to admit. 

3. To place on trial a member against whom charges 
may have been preferred, to pronounce sentence, and 
enforce discipline. 

4 To select and install its officers. 

5 To fix its time of meeting. 

* " Principles of Masonic Jurisprudence." — Simons. 



276 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

6. To require its members to contribute to its funda. 

7. To be represented at all communicaticms of the 
Grand Lodge. 

8. To instruct its representatives, for their government, 
at all such communications of the Grand Lodge. 

The Constitutional powers of a Lodge, subject to 
control by the Grand Lodge, are : 

1. To make a code of by-laws for its internal govern- 
ment, not in derogation of its inalienable rights, or of 
those of its members. 

2. To perform all the work pertaining to the three 
degrees of Ancient Craft Masonry. 

3. To transact all business that can be legally trans- 
acted by a duly constituted Lodge of Freemasons. 

4. To appeal to the Grand Master or Grand Lodge 
from the decision of the presiding officer. 

5. To change its place of meeting. 

6. To control its funds. 

These constitutional powers are to be exercised only 
in the manner, and under the restrictions prescribed by 
the Constitution and Kegulations of the Grand Lodge. 

Subordinate Lodges are required to pay into the 
treasury of the Grand Lodge, for revenue, such sums as 
may, from time to time, be levied. 

JUEISDICTION OF LODGES. 

The jurisdiction of Lodges is Territorial and Penai. 

The Territorial jurisdiction of a Lodge extends half- 
way in every direction to the nearest liodge. In 
cities and towns, where there are more than one Lodge, 
their jurisdiction is in all respects concurrent. This 
relates to the reception of members; therefore, a Lodge 
cannot confer the degrees upon a profane, or affiliate 



MASONIC JURISPKUDENCE. 277 

a Masoi: residing nearer another Lodge, without its 
consent, by the vote of a majority of the members pre- 
sent at a stated meeting. 

The Penal jurisdiction of a Lodge is the right of trial 
and enforcement of discipline over its own members, 
without regard to their place of residence, and also of 
members of other Lodges living within its territorial 
jurisdiction, and non-ajB&liated Masons living within or 
temporarily remaining therein. 



OFFICERS OF A LODGE. 

"When a Lodge is fully officered it has: 

A Master, (whose style is Worshipful^) 

A Senior Warden, 

A Junior Warden 

A Treasurer, 

A Secretary, 

A Senior Deacon, 

A Junior Deacon, 

One or more Stewards, 

A Tiler. 
The offices of Steward and Tiler are sometimes filled 
by one person. 

In addition to these officers, many Lodges have a 
Chaplain, Physician, Marshal, and Board of Trustees. 

THE MASTEE. 
" It was the observation of a wisdom greater than 
man can boast, that a house or kingdom divided against 
itself, cannot stand; and experience proves the sound- 
ness of the axiom. This proverb may be applied with 
great propriety to an Institution whose members are 
segregated from the rest of the world by obHgations, 



278 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

customs, and laws of a peculiar nature, yet retain their 
independence of character by a perfect freedom of 
thought and action. In such a society, a judicious iniler 
is absolutely essential, not merely to its prosperity, but 
to its very existence. If the shepherd be careless or 
inefficient, the flock will be scattered abroad. 

" Unity is the mainspring of Freemasonry. Destroy 
that, and the machinery will fall in pieces; and it will 
be a difficult matter to preserve the links in the chain 
of unity unbroken, unless the Master pursue an accom- 
modating policy, which may cause the brethren to be 
mutually pleased with each other's society, accompanied 
by an inflexible regard to discipline, which, while it 
allows freedom of action, will preserve inviolable the 
respectful submission that is due the Chair, as its 
undoubted and inalienable prerogative."* 

" To become Master of his Lodge, is the legitimate 
object of every young brother who takes an interest in 
our society. The very questionable policy of our present 
regulations seems to be, to open to each, in succession, 
the way to the Mastership — almost, if not altogether, as 
a matter of course. Now, my younger brethren may 
rest assured, that although, in deference to a usage 
which it is perhaps too late to abolish, we may place a 
careless or ignorant Mason in the Chair, invest him with 
the badge of authority, and address him with the 
external forms of respect, we cannot command for him 
the deference and consideration which will be sure to 
follow the enlightened and expert. He will be like the 
figure-head of a ship — placed foremost, and gaudily 
decorated; but, after all, it is a mere effigy, not con- 
tributing in the least to the management of the vessel 

• "Revelations of a Square." — Out&b. 



MASONIC JUEISPEUDENCE. 279 

In small, as in great things, knowledge is power — 
intellectual superiority is real preeminence. 

"Some inexperienced brethren may think that no 
difficulty can ever arise in the decision of Masonic 
questions, because they have never seen any such diffi- 
culty in our society. It is true, that mutual forbearance 
is so much inculcated, and good feeling so widely pre- 
vails among us, that, in the hands of a judicious ruler, 
all goes on with easy and undeviating regTilarity. But 
I can assure them that, in a well-regulated Lodge, there 
is a very ample scope for the exercise of intellect; and 
that the Master will soon find that he requires even 
more than a knowledge of Masonic law and usages, to 
acquit himself creditably of his responsibility. He 
should know his own limits, so as not to encroach upon 
the rights of the brethren, of which, I candidly warn 
every young Master, he will find us not a little jealous. 
If he fall short of his own bounds, or oversteps them, 
he will find clear heads and keen tongues to remind 
him — respectfully, but unmistakably — of the fact. The 
Lodge will soon feel what sort of hand holds the 
helm; and as they are bound to acquiesce in his 
opinion, as their Master, he must show equal deference 
to theirs. "=^ 

"In the whole series of offices recognized by the 
Masonic Institution, there is not one more important 
than that of the Master of a Lodge. Upon the skill, 
integrity and prudence of the presiding officer, depend 
the usefulness and weKare of the Lodge, and as Lodges 
are the primary assemblages of the Craft, and by 
representation constitute the supreme tribunal or 
Grand Lodge, it is evident that the errors of govern- 

* "The Duty of the Master," a Lecture, by J. Fitz-Henrt 
TowNSEND.— American Quarterly Review of Freemasonry. 



280 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

ment in the primary bodies must, if not duly corrected, 
be productive of evil to the whole Fraternity. Hence, 
in the ceremony of Installation, it was required, as a 
necessary qualification of him who was proposed to the 
Grand Master as the presiding officer of a Lodge, that 
he should be of good morals, of great skill, true and 
trusty, and a lover of the whole Fraternity, wheresoever 
dispersed over the face of the earth. And it was on 
such a recommendation, that it was to be presumed 
that he would discharge the duties of the office with 
fidelity."* 

To these qualifications, which are general in their 
nature, is to be added the legal one, to be found in the 
fourth of the Ancient Charges, in which it is stated, 
" That all preferment among Masons is grounded upon 
real worth and personal merit only;" that "none but a 
perfect youth should be made an Apprentice, that in 
due time he may become a Fellow-Craft, and when 
otherwise qualified, arrive at the honor of being Warden, 
and then Master of the Lodge. *=«=** "^o brother 
can be a Warden until he has passed the part of a 
Fellow-Craft; nor a Master till he has acted as Warden." 

" Acting as Warden," means, to have been lawfully 
appointed or elected to that station, and to have dis- 
charged the duties that pertain to it, for the length of 
time, which, under the By-laws of the Lodge may be 
fixed for the term for which officers are elected, either 
in the Lodge which proposes to elect him or in some 
other regular Lodge. 

This rule, under the regulations of the Grand Lodge 
of Tennessee, does not operate in the case of the for- 
mation of a Lodge under Dispensation, nor when, in the 

* " Text-book of Masonic Jurisprudence." — Mackey. 



MASONIC JURISPRUDENCE. 281 

opinion of a Lodge, there is no member thereof who 
has served as Warden who is qualified to discharge the 
duties of Master. 

The prerogatives of the Master, are : 

1. The right to congregate his Lodge. Under this pre- 
rogative the Master may call a meeting of his Lodge at 
any time; he may not, as formerly, call it at any time 
or place; his power in this respect being restricted to 
the calling of special communications, except on funeral 
occasions, at the place usually occupied by the Lodge. 
At these special communications, no business can be 
transacted except that for which they may be called, 
and no business relative to the presentation of petitions 
for initiation or adjoining, or a ballot on such petitions, 
€an be had at a called meeting. The stated communi- 
cations are fixed by the Lodge itself, as well as the 
place where they are to be held, and the Master has no 
power to change or alter either. 

2. The right to preside. When the G-rand Master, or 
Ms duly appointed representative, appears in a Lodge, 
the power of the Master to preside temporarily disap- 
pears, unless the superior authority waives the right. 

3. I%e right to fill temporarily any vacancies that may 
occur in the Lodge offices. 

4. To control the admission of visitors. In the exercise 
of this right, the Master may refuse admission to any 
visitor, howevar correct the standing of the visitor may 
be, he being responsible for the exercise of his preroga- 
tive. It is the general practice of the Master, though 
not absolutely bound to do so, to refuse a visitor when 
:any member of the Lodge objects to his visit. 

5. To regulate and terminate all discussion. When in 
his judgment the debate has extended far enough, or 



282 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

when for any other reason he may deem it proper to do 
so, he rises in his place and proceeds to put the ques- 
tion, or to direct the labors into some other channel. • 

6. To direct the order of business. This he may do, not- 
withstanding the By-Laws may have appended to them 
a summary of the order in which business is to be 
transacted. 

7. To appoint oil committees. 

8. To close the Lodge at will. By this is not meant that 
the Master may close his Lodge in the midst of its 
labors, at the mere suggestion of his own arbitrary will, 
for that would be intolerable; but that he is the proper 
judge as to when the labors ought reasonably to cease, 
and the brethren retire to their homes. 

9. To issue summons. In addition to summons to at- 
tend meetings of the Lodge, the Master has power to 
summon witnesses in trials; all Masons within the 
jurisdiction of his Lodge, to answer complaints against 
them; the officers of his Lodge, to render their ac- 
counts, or to answer for delinquencies; the members of 
his Lodge, to attend the funeral of a deceased brother. 
The summons can be issued by authority of the Master 
only, or the one who may be discharging the functions 
of that office, and it is a peremptory order, which must 
be obeyed, under penalty, unless the excuse of the de- 
faulter be a legitimate one. Summons are usually in 
writing, signed by the Master, countersigned by the 
Secretary, and having the Lodge seal attached; but a 
verbal summons by the Master is equally binding with 
a written one. 

10. To be the custodian of the Charter. Although the 
Charter purports on its face to be granted to the Master 
and Wardens, yet, at his installation, it is placed in 



MASONIC JURISPRUDENCE. 283 

special charge of the Master, and he is made responsi- 
ble for its safe keeping. 

11. In company with the Senior and Junior Wardens, 
to represent his Lodge at all communications of the Grand 
Lodge. 

In the exercise of these prerogatives, other exhi- 
bitions of authority are sometimes called forth: as, the 
control of the minutes, to see that nothing improper is 
recorded, and that nothing essential has been omitted; 
the right to refuse to initiate a candidate, or to confer 
a degree, notwithstanding the action of the Lodge; the 
right to order a re-ballot, under the prescribed restric- 
tions; the right to discuss all questions without leaving 
the Chair. He signs all drafts upon the Treasurer; is 
exempt from trial by the Lodge, and is entitled to re- 
ceive the degree of Past Master. He cannot dimit or 
resign during his term of office. No vacancy can occur 
in his office, except by death, or expulsion, in which 
event the Senior Warden succeeds to the position. 

PAST MASTERS. 

This is deemed an appropriate place to call attention 
to the status of Past Masters. Their privileges are such 
as may be expressly given by the Constitution of the 
Gra.nd Lodge, and, in addition: 

A Past Master is qualified to install any Master elect, 
and to be present at the quahfication of a Master elected 
to the Chair. At such qualification, none but actual 
Past Masters — those whose service in the Chair makes 
them such — are entitled to officiate in the ceremonies. 

When the Grand Master is unable to attend to any 
duty requiring his presence, he may select a proxy, 
and, where possible to do so, he should select the 
Master or some Past Master of a Lodge. 



284 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

As a courtesy, a Past Master is entitled to a seat in 
tLe East. 

THE WARDENS. 

These officers are second only in importance to the 
Master. Doctor Oliver very appropriately terms them 
Deputy Masters, and such they really are. In case 
of the death, absence, or inability of the Master, they 
are authorized and required, the Senior Warden first, 
and, in his absence, the Junior Warden, to succeed to 
all his powers and prerogatives for the time being. 
They, with the Master, have the right to represent the 
Lodge at all communications of the Grand Lodge. 

The Senior Warden is charged with the superintend- 
ence of the Craft while at labor, and to the Junior 
Warden is committed their superintendence during the 
hours of refreshment. From this the practice has 
arisen, in some Lodges, of requiring that all complaints 
for the infraction of the laws of Masonry should be 
presented to the Lodge through him. This custom is 
every way to be commended. 

In the absence of the Master, the Senior Warden 
succeeds to his place; but the Junior Warden does not 
thereupon occupy the Senior Warden's vacant station, 
but the Senior Warden becomes, for the time, Master, 
and the prerogative of appointment vests in him, and 
he proceeds to appoint a Senior Warden pro tempore. 

The Wardens cannot resign, and in case of a vacancy 
in their offices, as well as all the other elective offices, 
by death, suspension, or expulsion, no election can be 
had to fill it, until the "regular time of choosing." 

In the absence of the Master and Wardens, the oldest 
Past Master of the Lodge present should preside, at 
stated meetings, and at called meetings, properly sum 



MASONIC JURISPRUDENCK 285 

moned by the Master or a Warden. If none of the 
officers be present, nor any Past Master, the members, 
according to seniority, may fill the Chair, and for the 
time exercise all the rights of a Master. 

OTHER OFFICERS. 

The duties devolving upon the other officers of the 
Lodge are so well defined and so generally understood, 
that an extended notice thereof is deemed unnecessary. 

A Lodge should be very careful in the selection of 
its officers. Every member ought to take a deep inter- 
est in the matter. None should be elected but those 
who are not only worthy^ but also well qualified^ and this 
preparation should precede an election; that is, the 
qualification should exist before a Brother is elected, 
so that no risk will be incurred as to his becoming so 
afterward. This rule should be rigidly adhered to, 
without fear, favor, or partiality, and the members of 
Lodges should always bear in mind that the estimation 
in which the Lodge is held by the world is dependent 
upon the character and standing of its officers, espe- 
cially the first three, and that the selection of persons 
fco these positions does not and cannot give them a 
position in the estimation of a community they do not 
otherwise occupy. 

ELECTIONS. 

The officers are elected or appointed as the Consti- 
tution of the Grand Lodge may permit, or the By-Laws 
direct. The elections are required to be held at least 
once in each year, and the installation must either take 
place at once, or within some reasonable period there- 
after. Until such installation takes place, the old 
officers hold over. 



286 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

Should a Subordinate Lodge, from any cause, fail to 
elect its officers at the time specified by its By-Laws, it 
has no authority within itself to do so at any other 
time, but must apply to the Grand Master for a Dis- 
pensation to authorize the same. The By-Laws of a 
Lodge may prescribe other regulations in regard to the 
election of officers, and these, if not inconsistent with 
the Constitution and Eegulations of the Grand Lodge, 
must be complied with. 

At every election, each member of the Lodge in 
good standing is entitled to vote. Li Lodges where 
dues are exacted, the By-Laws may provide that those 
in arrears for a certain time shall be deprived of their 
votes at elections for officers, and when this is the case, 
the member thus situated is not entitled to a vote, not 
being, to that extent, in good standing. 

Blank ballots, cast at an election for officers, are votes, 
and are to be estimated in determining the result. By 
blank ballots, in this connection, is meant the depositing 
a blank slip of paper where a member may be unwilling 
to express a preference among the members for the 
position. 

As nominations for office in the Grand Lodge is 
permitted, the custom has, to some extent, begun to 
prevail in Subordinate Lodges, and there is no law 
against the practice. The custom of calling off, for a 
few moments, previous to depositing the ballots, affords 
an opportunity for consultation, and then, labor being 
resumed, the silent ballot, without nominations, is more 
in accordance with the spirit of the Craft; and it is 
earnestly hoped that this course will again become uni- 
versal among the Lodges. 

While every brother selected to aid in the labors of 
the Lodge ought, if possible, to accept, he is not bound 



MASONIC JURISPRUDENCE. 287 

iio serve, every Mason being free to accept office or not. 
Elections must always be held in a Lodge opened on 
the third degree. The Treasurer and Secretary are 
sometimes required to receive and count the ballots, 
but the better rule is to appoint tellers from among the 
Brethren. 

INSTALLATION. 

The ceremony of Installation, which is the completion 
of the election, is indispensable to the officers elect, as 
without it they cannot legally enter upon the duties of 
their respective offices. For this reason, it should be 
performed at the earliest convenient time after the 
election. 

It is the province of the retiring Master to install his 
successors; but he may, if he pleases, delegate this 
power to any Past Master, but not to any Brother of 
inferior rank. Installations should not be assumed by 
proxy, because a man cannot take upon himself an obli- 
gation by the lips of another, and could not legally be 
held for the infraction of a vow he had not personally 
pronounced. 

Immediately after the installation, the retiring offi- 
cers transfer to their successors all the books, money, 
and property of the Lodge that may have been in their 
possession. 

LODGE MEETINGS. 

The meetings of Lodges are technically called " Com- 
munications," and are of two kinds — Called, or Special, 
and Stated. 

Galled Meetings are entirely within the discretion of 
the Master, or the Warden acting in his absence, as to 
time; but they must be held at the place usually occu- 



288 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

pied by the Lodge. At such meetings, no business can 
be transacted except that for which it was called. 

Stated Meetings are the regular assemblies of the 
Lodge, at the time and place specified in the By-Laws. 
They must occur at least once in each calendar month. 
Stated meetings should not be called off from day to 
day, except in extreme emergencies rendering such a 
course imperatively necessary. It is much better that 
the business be concluded at the meeting at which it 
properly comes up for consideration, or postponed to 
the next stated meeting. 

The first business at all meetings, after the congrega- 
tion of the Lodge, is, of course, the formula of opening, 
and this should never on any account be performed in a 
slovenly manner, nor hastily done, but should be given 
in ample detail, for the benefit of uninstructed Brethren, 
and for the credit of the Lodge and its officers. The 
introduction of music, in this and in other appropriate 
portions of the ceremonies, is to be highly commended, 
if it can be well performed, either by the united voices 
of the Brethren, or with the accompaniment of an 
instrument. 

The business of a Stated Meeting always commences 
by the reading of the Minutes of the last stated Com- 
munication, and of those of any called Meeting that 
may have intervened, that they may be approved. 

"In this respect the qualities of a good Secretary will 
at once be manifested by the orderly arrangement of 
the various topics that may have been acted upon at the 
previous communication. Some Secretaries write their 
entire minutes in one paragraph, as if the economy 
of half a sheet of paper that might be consumed in 
properly displaying them would materially affect the 
Lodge revenues. Properly, each item should form a 



MASONIC JUBISPKUDENCE. 289 

separate paragraph; and when one is finished, a blant 
line should be left before commencing another. A wide 
margin is also to be recommended, that brief notes may 
be written opposite the important paragTaphs, to indi- 
cate their tenor. The object of these marginal notes i& 
to enable the Secretary, or others, to discover the recora 
of any particular circumstance without being obliged to 
read through the whole body of the minutes. Brevity 
— that is, so much as is consistent with clearness — 
ought to be the aim of the Brother who writes the 
minutes; neatness and system in their arrangement al- 
ways attract commendation. At the bottom of the last 
page of the minutes of each communication should be 
entered, in full, the names of all brethren who have paid 
money to the Secretary, and opposite to their names the 
amount so paid, as also the items of disbursement or- 
dered by the Lodge. These items, when so entered, 
are convenient for reference; and after having been 
read to and approved by the Lodge, are vouchers of the 
Secretary's correctness. Finally, the Master is to ob- 
serve that the record is correct, both as to what is 
written and what is omitted, before he allows it to be 
confirmed."* 

No appHcation for admission should be announced or 
attended to during the ceremony of opening or closing, 
during the reading of the minutes, while a brother is 
addressing the Loeige, or while the Master is engaged 
in conferring degrees; nor should any countenance be 
given to the practice of entering or retiring from the 
Lodge during the ceremonies. Visitors may, of coui'se, 
be admitted at any time, if the Master choose to allow 
it; but it is better for all concerned, that the rules sug- 
gested should be rigidly enforced. 

* *• Principles of Masonic Law." — Simons. 

13 



290 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

The manner of voting depends upon the subject on 
which the vote is to be taken. In elections of officers, 
ballots are used, which are slips of paper on which the 
voter writes his preference, and in elections of can- 
didates white and black balls are used. On all other 
questions the vote may be taken viva voce; but it was 
undoubtedly the custom, in the earlier days of the Fra- 
ternity, for the members to express their opinions by 
holding up one of the hands, which, if required, were 
counted by the Deacons. 

The ceremony of closing is to be observed with the 
same care as that of opening, and it should be the en- 
deavor of the Master and brethren to have it always 
take place at a reasonably early hour. 

" In the discussions that sometimes arise in a Lodge it 
is, as we have already shown, the prerogative of the 
Master to mark the limits of debate, and keep the 
brethren vdthin them. Few men, however, are gifted with 
the powers of discrimination necessary to the exercise oi 
80 difficult a supervision, and, therefore, some rules are 
sought for which shall suffice to keep the debate within 
due bounds, and their observance be at once a restraint 
on the brethren and an assistance to the presiding 
officer. The mind thus naturally reverts to what ia 
termed * Parliamentary law,' and the question arises, 
* How far may it safely be used in the business of a 
Masonic Lodge ?' This question has been most ably 
and satisfactorily answered by M. W. Bro. Benjamin B. 
French, in an article published in the American Quar- 
terly Review of Freemasonry. We feel that we are doing 
the Craft a service by transferring to these pages its 
most important suggestions. 

" No body of men," (says Bro. French,) " no matter 
how small, or how well disposed to be orderly it may 



MASONIC JUEISPEUDENCE. 291 

be, can .be kept in order for the transaction of business, 
and the debate which necessarily accompanies it, without 
a presiding officer; and no presiding officer, be his 
talent and capacity for presiding what they may, can 
keep order unless he be governed by fixed rules and 
principles, admitted to be binding by those over whom 
he presides. Therefore, we find the custom to be 
universal, after the organization of any assembly of 
individuals, of adopting rules for government, by which 
they impose a duty on their presiding officer of admin- 
istering, and on themselves of obeying, the rules thus 
made. In ordinary public bodies, these rules are tem- 
porary, lasting only during the legal existence of the 
body which they are formed to govern. The House of 
Representatives of the United States becomes a new 
legislative body every two years, and is only governed 
by the general parliamentary law until either the rules 
of the preceding House are adopted, or a new code 
formed. The Senate, being a permanent body, is always 
governed by the same rules until it sees fit to alter or 
renew them. 

" Masonic bodies are somewhat like the Senate, in 
this latter particular. When once formed, they remain 
Lodges, Chapters, etc., forever. Therefore, the rules 
and regulations by which they are to be governed, ought 
to be permanent and uniform. I have noticed, within 
a few years, a new feature adopted by some of the 
governing Masonic bodies, in the formation of 'model 
by-laws,' on which the Subordinates are to found their 
codes. This is an excellent plan, inasmuch as it tends 
to create a uniformity of government in the jurisdiction 
wherein it operates. But by-laws are one thing, and 
rules of government, while the body is assembled for 
business, another. 



292 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

" My design in this paper is to present my own views 
in relation to the application of regular parliamentary 
law, so far as it will apply to the goyernment of Masonic 
bodies. 

" The term Parliamentary Law originated by being 
the designation of the peculiar law which governed and 
governs the proceedings of the British Parliament. 
Laws and rules adopted by that body became by 
degrees the governing law of all deliberative assembhes, 
so far as they would apply; and as soon as our fore- 
fathers so far estabHshed governments on this side of 
tlfce Atlantic as to need rules and regulations, they 
adopted those of the mother-country; and thus the law 
of parliament became, in a measure, the governing law 
of American deliberative assemblies; and the law of 
parliament has come to be a general term, applicable 
to all well-established rules and regulations adopted by 
legislatures. 

" The dictum of Hatsell — the best Enghsh authority 
on precedents extant — that * it is much more material 
that there should be a rule to go by, than what that rule 
is,' is a sound principle, and applies as well to the gov- 
ernment of a Masonic Lodge as to the House of Com- 
mons of Great Britain. 

" All regular meetings of Masonic bodies are fixed by 
their by-laws, and the records of the body should 
always show, either that the meeting was held, or the 
reason why it was not. It is well known to every well- 
informed Freemason, that a certain number must be 
present before a Lodge can be opened, and that it 
requires also the presence of certain officers: therefore, 
no parliamentary rule appHes to the convening of a 
Lodge. The rule, that a faithful record shall be kept 
of what is proper to be written, is a Masonic one ; and 



MASONIC JURISPRUDENCE. 293 

the period of no regular meeting should be suffered 
to pass, even though the Lodge be not opened, without 
a statement, as full as may be, on the record-book, 
giving the facts as they occurred, that when the proper 
inspecting of&cer makes his annual visit, he may see as 
well what has been omitted to be done that ought to 
have been done, and the reasons therefor, as what has 
actually been done. 

" The Lodge having been duly opened, it becomes at 
once a deliberative assembly for any business that may 
legitimately come before it. The Master is the pre- 
siding officer, and the floor is open, under the restric- 
tions of the by-laws, to any member who may desire to 
submit any proposition proper for consideration. And 
here the parliamentary rules apply in all their force. 

" I will here quote those rules, substituting the words 
* Master ' and * Brother ' for Speaker and Member, 

"When the Master is seated in his Chair, every 
brother is to sit in his place. 

" When any brother means to speak, he is to stand 
up in his place, and address himself, not to the Lodge, 
or any particular brother, but to the Master, who calls 
him by his name, that the Lodge may take notice of 
who it is that speaks. 

"When a brother stands up to speak, no question is 
to be put; but he is to be heard. 

" [This rule closes with the words, ' unless the House 
overrule him.' It is not customary or proper for the 
Lodge to overrule any brother in debate. If the Master 
deem the debate irrelevant, he has full power to call the 
brother to order, and to keep him within the bounds of 
order, or to silence him in a manner known only to 
Masons. From the Master's decision there is no appeal 
to the Lodge.] 



294 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

"If two or more brethren rise to speak nearly to- 
gether, the Master determines who was first up, and 
calls him by name; whereupon he proceeds, unless he 
voluntarily sits down, and gives way to the other. 

" [Here again the House can overrule the Speaker, 
and decide which Member was first up. But the Lodge 
cannot overrule the Master.] 

" By the parliamentary law, no one may speak more 
than once, to the same question, on the same day. 
This is a very wholesome provision, and, unless there 
be some particular provision in the by-laws touching 
this point, it would be well for the Master, when he 
thinks precious time is being wasted in debate, to 
enforce it. This is a matter, however, that I consider 
altogether discretionary with the Master, and in which 
he should always be governed by the peculiar circum- 
stances of the time. Explanation, as to what has been 
said, is always permitted. 

"If the Master rises to speak, the brother standing 
up must sit down, that he may be first heard. 

"No one is to speak impertinently or beside the 
question, superfluously or tediously. 

"No one is to disturb another in his speech by hissing, 
coughing, spitting, or whispering to another, nor to 
stand up or interrupt him; nor to pass between the 
Master and the speaking brother, nor to go across the 
Lodge-room, nor to walk up and down it. 

" If a brother, in debate, use any improper language, 
any brother may call him to order, if the Master do not; 
and if there is any dispute as to the language used, it 
would be well to have the language taken down by the 
brother calling to order, that the Master may consider 
it carefully before coming to a decision. 

" As the rules of Freemasonry allow no appeal from 



MASONIC JUEISPRUDENCE. 295 

the Master to the Lodge, it behooves every Master to 
make his decisions with great care, and after full con- 
sideration; and, although no appeal can be taken, the 
Master may, before his decision, ask experienced mem- 
bers of the Lodge to aid him with their oj^inions, and 
they are bound to respond. The Master may, if he see 
fit, express an opinion to the Lodge, and ask its advice 
prior to making his decision. 

" Any brother may present a petition to the Lodge, if 
properly signed and vouched, at the time when petitions 
are in order, or he may hand it to the Secretary, and 
have it presented through him. After it is received, it 
is for the Lodge to determine what is to be done with 
it. If no question is made by any brother, the petition 
is referred to the Master as a matter of course; and 
when reported upon, the report is open to amendment 
and debate, and to final action by the body to which it 
is made. 

"Upon the presentation of a petition, any brother 
may raise the question, and, in that case, the Master is 
bound to put the question : ' Shall the petition be re- 
ceived?' If not received, no further action can be had 
relative to it, and it remains in the hands of the one 
who presented it, to be disposed of as he thinks proper. 

" * Committees of the Whole ' are out of place in a 
Masonic body. Lodges can only do business with the 
Master in the Chair; for, let who will preside, he is, 
while occupying the Chair, Master — invested with su- 
preme command, and emphatically 'governs the Lodge.* 
Any committee presupposes a * Chaii*man,' and no Free- 
mason would feel at home, were he presided over by a 
* Chairman.* 

" There is a difference between accepting and adopting 



296 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

a report. If nothing is said, it is considered as accepted 
as soon as made. If it closes with resolutions, and the 
report itself requires no definite legislation, the ques- 
tion is on agreeing to the resolutions. If the report it- 
self embodies legislation, and there are also resolutions 
attached, the question is on adopting the report, and 
agreeing to the resolutions. If no resolutions are at- 
tached, and the report recommends no action, its accept- 
ance, either tacitly or by a vote, disposes of it. If it 
requires action, then a vote must be taken on its 
adoption, to make it binding. If it is upon a petition 
for admission, no matter whether favorable or unfavora- 
ble, the question is on proceeding to ballot for the can 
didate, unless a motion is made to dispose of the report 
in some other manner.* Reports may be recommitted 
at any time before the final action upon them. 

" Motions, in a Masonic body, are governed by pre- 
cisely the same rules as in a parliamentary body. Any 
member of the body can make a motion, and it must be 
seconded by another member, (the presiding officer can 
second it, if he j)leases,) before it is in possession of the 
body. If in order, of which the presiding officer must 
be the judge, it is then debatable, or may be put to the 
question, if no debate is offered. If the presiding officer 
or any member require it, all motions must be put in 
writing before being acted upon. 

"Resolutions and orders are governed by precisely the 
same rules as motions; they are often only motions re- 
duced to writing: for instance, a brother may move 
that the Lodge proceed to ballot for a candidate, or he 

* We can imagine- no other disposition of such a report, except to 
lie upon the table temporarily, or to recommit for further examina- 
tion. Its final disposition must be by ballot, for the petition on 
which it is based cannot be withdrawn. 



MASONIC JURISPRUDENCE. 297 

may introduce a resolution in writing to do the same 
thing. Kesolutions generally express opinions, and 
motions may apply to resolutions, as 'a motion to 
amend,' *to lie upon the table,' Ho postpone,' etc., but 
resolutions cannot apply to motions. 

" Orders are only used when the body commands, as, 
* Ordered,' that the Secretary do so and so, etc. 

" Freemasonry knows no ' previous question,' and no 
Masonic body should ever tolerate it. 

" The Masonic rule should be, that where well-settled 
parhamentary principles can be projDerly applied to the 
action of Masonic bodies, they should always govern; 
but they should never be introduced where they, in any 
way, interfere with the established customs or Land- 
marks of Masonry, or with the high prerogatives of the 
Master." 

To the above we subjoin, for the sake of completeness, 
the following, by Dr. IVIackey: 

When a motion has once been made, and carried in 
the affirmative or negative, it is in order for any 
member who voted in the majority to move for a recon- 
sideration thereof at the same communication. 

When an amendment is proposed, a member who has 
already spoken to the main question may again sj)eak 
to the amendment. 

When a blank is to be filled, and various 23ropositions 
have been made, the question must be taken first on the 
highest sum or the longest time proposed. 

Any member may call for a division of the question, 
which division will take place. 

A motion to lie on the table is not debatable. 

A motion to adjourn is unmasonic, and cannot be 
entertained. 

13* 



298 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

THE FLOOR MEMBERS. 
Lodges are composed of Enteked Apprentices, Fellow 
Craets, and Master Masons, and the latter may be di- 
vided into two classes— affiliated and non-affiliated. 
The officers are chosen from the affihated Master Ma- 
sons, because they alone are in reahty members of the 
Lodge. 

ENTERED APPRENTICES. 

The profane who seeks admission may be said to be a 
petitioner; during his initiation, he is a candidate; and 
when the initiation is completed, he is an Entered 
Apprentice. 

An Entered Apprentice, not being a member, is not 
required to pay dues, and cannot make any claim upon 
the Lodge Treasury; nor is his family, should he die 
before advancement, entitled to claim relief, as in case 
of a member. 

He may visit his own Lodge, whenever opened on the 
first degree, but he has no voice or vote in the proceed- 
ings, nor can he serve on committees or hold office. 
He cannot, in case of death, be interred with the for- 
malities of the Institution; neither can he be aUowed to 
take part in the procession on such occasions, the 
Lodge, when convened for that purpose, being always 
opened on the third degree. 

He may apply for the next degree, which may, of 
course, for any reason, be refused by the Lodge. He 
is to be examined in open Lodge, opened on the first 
degree, as to proficiency, and a secret ballot taken, in 
the Lodge opened on the third degree, and, if rejected, 
his application is not again to be acted upon, until after 
his petition shall have been presented at a stated meet- 
ing, and has laid over until the next stated meeting. 



MASONIC JUEISPEUDENOK 299 

FELLOW-CKAFTS 

Occupy the same relation to a Master Mason that an 
Entered Apprentice does to a Fellow-Craft. They have 
the same disabilities as Apprentices, and are entitled to 
the same immunities. 

MASTER MASONS. 

Masons of the third degree now constitute the body . 
of the Fraternity. They make up our Lodges, perform 
their labors, and contribute the means for paying their 
current expenses, as well as the demands of needy 
brethren, their widows and orphans. Their duties com- 
prise the various requirements of the Institution, and 
they are the custodians of the trust bequeathed by the 
fathers, which, in due time, they will leave to their suc- 
cessors, and thus perpetuate the Institution. 

The first right of a Master Mason is that of member- 
ship, which is of two kinds — actual and honorary. By 
actual membership is understood regular affiliation 
with a Lodge, either as the result of having been initi- 
ated, passed, and raised therein, or by acceptance or 
affiliation, after having been previously a member of 
some other Lodge. When the third degree has been 
conferred, the brother becomes a member of the Lodge 
without'further ceremony, and should sign the By-Laws, 
thus recording his willingness to assume his portion of 
the duties of Masonry, on condition that he shall be 
entitled to all the rights and benefits accruing to mem- 
bership. This is the first method of obtaining member- 
ship. The second is, when a Mason desires to change 
his membership; he withdraws or dimits from his 
Lodge, and petitions another to receive him into fel- 
lowship. This petition takes the usual course; a com- 



300 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

mittee of investigation is named, and, on their report 
a ballot is had, which, if favorable, admits the petitioner 
to membership. 

Honorary membership, is the somewhat modern 
custom of conferring nominal membership on a brother 
for services rendered the Fraternity in general, or the 
Lodge in particular. As no brother can be an active 
member of two Lodges at the same time, (except one 
be a Lodge under Dispensation,) and as only active 
members can participate in the transactions of the 
Lodge so far as to vote, hold office, etc., it follows that 
honorary membership, when conferred, is but the ex- 
pression of a compliment, and that the honorary member 
acquires no positive right whatever. They are generally 
allowed to participate in discussion, but this is only an 
act of courtesy rarely denied to any visiting brother, 
who signifies a wish to be heard. 

From the right of membership follows the right to 
visit masonically any regular Lodge. This right is a 
Iknited one, and subject to the prerogative of the Master 
to control the admission of visitors, by withholding that 
permission without which they can neither pass nor 
repass. 

The right of avouchment is an important one, in the 
exercise of which much caution should be practiced. 
There are three rules upon this subject, which may be 
thus stated: 1st. If you have been present in a regular 
Lodge of Master Masons with the brother for whom you 
vouch; 2d. If a brother whom you know to be a Master 
Mason introduces you to another in person^ and says, I 
have sat with this brother, or have carefully examined 
him; or, 3d. If you, as one of a committee, or otherwise, 
have carefully examined a brother, then you may vouch 
for him, and your avouchment may be accepted by the 



MASONIC JURISPRUDENCE. 301 

Lodge. As a general rule the personal examination of 
brethren casually meeting should not be accepted, as 
the great majority may not be competent to properly 
examine a stranger. 

" Every Master has agreed in the most solemn manner 
that ' no visitors shall be received in his Lodge with- 
out due examination and producing proper vouchers of 
their having been initiated in a regular Lodge/ and he 
will prove faithless to his vow if he allow the somewhat 
loose system of modern avouchment to prevail under 
his administration. The simple announcement oi 
'Brother so and so vouched for' is a very frail warrant 
for the admission of a person we have never seen or 
heard of before to a participation in our mysteries. "We 
should know who is his sponsor, and on what grounds 
he assumes that responsibility. While it is the right of 
every Master Mason in good standing to vouch for an- 
other, on proper gTOunds, it is equally the duty of the 
Master to be satisfied that this important privilege has 
not been lightly exercised, before he accepts the 
voucher. There are so many ways in which the best 
intentioned brother may be deceived, that there should 
prevail a wholesome caution in accepting any but the 
most irrefragible testimony. Thus, the brother who 
offers tp respond for another should know, beyond all 
question, that the one he vouches for is really a mem- 
ber of the Fraternity, in good standing, and his knowl- 
edge must be obtained, not from an ordinary conver- 
sation nor a loose and careless inquiry, but from strict 
trials due examination, or lawful Masonic information, 
which the unwritten Landmarks require as prerequi- 
sites to avouchment. The sixth subdivision of the 
sixth of the Ancient Charges provides that — ' You are 
cautiously to examine a strange brother, in such a 



302 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

manner as prudence shall direct you, that you may not 
b*^ imposed upon by an ignorant false-pretender, whom 
you are to reject with contempt and derision, and be- 
ware of giving him any hints of knowledge.' Nothing 
can lawfully be taken for granted, nor should shortness 
of memory be suffered to excuse the filling up of an in- 
convenient blank. If the would-be-visitor has paid so 
little heed to his first instructions, or so little attention 
to the claims of the Fraternity, as to become rusty, he 
should go where he is known to obtain his information, 
and be disappointed if he expect to pick it up from an 
examining brother or committee. In this we would be 
understood as referring to those important matters that 
are indispensable, and not to some of the minor details 
that only a bright Mason could be expected to have at 
his finger-ends. The particulars of an examination can- 
not, of course, be detailed here, but we may say, in 
general terms, that the errors or inadvertencies of the 
visitor should not be corrected, for that would be 
giving him the hints we are warned against. With an 
aged brother, or one who has long been debarred the 
privileges of the Craft by journeys or sickness, patience 
should be exercised. If he has ever received the true 
light, the spark, though dimmed, vTill eventually 
brighten up by his own unaided endeavors; and one 
such trial will always serve to remind him of the neces- 
sity of keeping his treasures where he can find them 
when wanted. But it is not so much from any careless- 
ness in regard to examinations that we have to appre- 
hend danger, as from the uncertain application of what 
is termed * lawful information.* The Tiler's voucher 
is very often an uncertain guide; for among the num- 
bers that pass his guard he may be deceived by great 
similarity of personal appearance, or from a conviction 



MASONIC JUEISPBUDENCB. 303 

that he, having seen the person somewhere, that place 
must have been in a Lodge; or the Tiler may have 
known that a person was a member of a Lodge, but not 
that he had been put under discipline. Other instances 
might be named, but they will readily suggest them- 
selves to the brethren. Examinations conducted by 
an inexperienced or unskillful brother can afford no 
just grounds for an avouchment, because he cannot 
be supposed to have the ability of detecting error, or 
the judgment necessary to avoid conveying information 
which should be withheld. If a brother vouch for an- 
other on the ground of having sat with him in Lodge, 
he should also be able to state positively that it was a 
Master's Lodge, duly and legally constituted, and not 
a Lodge of Entered Apprentices or Fellow-Crafts. 
Written vouchers, though indited by your nearest 
friend, are of no positive value; they cannot lawfully 
contain any of those things which it is indispensable the 
visitor should know, and can afford him no assistance 
when put to the ordeal of strict examination." * 

The right to Masonic trial by his peers is to the Mason, 
as to the citizen, the inviolable safeguard of all his other 
rights, and it is therefore an unchangeable law that the 
recognized punishments of Masonry can only be inflicted 
after a regular trial, during which, and until the final 
verdict is pronounced by the Lodge, he is entitled to 
the presumption of innocence, and remains in good 
standing. 

The right of appeal to the final adjudication of the 
Grand Lodge is found in the sixth of the Ancient 
Charges. 

The requisites of an appeal are: 1st. That the appel- 
lant shall notify the opposite party of his intention to 
* SmoNs. 



304 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

appeal. 2d. That a copy of all the proceedings in the 
case, attested by the Secretary and Lodge seal, shall be 
forwarded to the Grand Lodge without delay. 3d. That 
the appellant furnish the Grand Lodge, through the 
Grand Secretary, with a full and clear statement of the 
grounds of his appeal. 4th. That a copy of this docu- 
ment be furnished to the adverse party; and, 5th. That 
the appeal be taken within three months after the 
decision of the Lodge. 

Pending the appeal, the brother found gTiilty must 
submit to the award of the brethren, so far as the exer- 
cise of any of his Masonic rights, save that of appeal, is 
concerned. 

When a Lodge has passed sentence, and, upon appeal, 
the GraDd Lodge reverses the same for irregularity or 
want of proof, such reversal reinstates the member in 
his Lodge without further proceedings, unless otherwise 
ordered by the Grand Lodge. 

Appeals from other acts and decisions of the Lodge, 
besides those relating to trials, are sometimes taken. 
Appeals from the decision of the Master in the Chair 
are likewise to be made to the Grand Lodge or Grand 
Master, usually to the latter. This appeal is the safe- 
guard of the member against any exercise of arbitrary 
authority by the Master, and the " check " by which he 
is restrained from the use of his high prerogatives to 
the injury of the Lodge or the brethren. 

The right of relief , when in circumstances of desti- 
tution and distress, is one of the most ancient and well- 
established rights of the individual Mason, which, after 
his death, inures to his widow and children. 

The right to withdraw from membership^ or, as it is 
technically called, to dimit, which is, by the General 
Regulations, limited as to a "set or number of brethren,*' 



MASONIC JURISPRUDENCE. 305 

is an undoubted one, when applied to an individual 
Mason, and is the right by which, for reasons of his 
own, he may sever his connection with the Lodge of 
which he may be a member, and there exists no general 
law to prevent it, if he shall be clear of the books — shall 
have paid all indebtedness to the Lodge, and there be 
no charge against him pending at the time. 

Lastly, a Master Mason who dies in good standing 
has a right to burial, with the ancient formaHties of the 
Institution. The earliest authority upon this subject is 
PRESTO^if, who says: "No Mason can be interred with 
the formaHties of the Order, unless it be at his own 
special request, communicated to the Master of a 
Lodge of which he died a member, foreigners and 
sojourners excepted; nor unless he has been advanced 
to the third degree of Masonry, from which restriction 
there can be no exception. Fellow-Crafts or Appren- 
tices are not entitled to the funeral obsequies." In the 
case of a member who dies in good standing, but with- 
out making such request, the funeral honors are gener- 
ally accorded to his remains at the request of his family 
or near relatives. 

NON-AFFILIATED MASONS. 

By non-affiliated Masons is understood those brethren 
who have received the several degrees of symbolic 
Masonry, but who are not attached to any Lodge. Cer- 
tain disabilities are the consequence of non-affiHation, 
and Masons thus situated are not entitled as a matter 
of right to any of the ordinary charities of the Lodge, or 
the honors of the Institution, but their relations to the- 
Fraternity at large are not thereby changed. They 
remain subject to the general rules and regulations of 
the Fraternity, and may be tried and punished for an 
infraction of them by any Lodge within the jurisdiction 
of which they may happen to be. 



306 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

THE PENAL CODE. 

The reputation and rights of a Mason are sacred, and 
he is not only entitled to their enjoyment, but has a 
claim to the assistance and protection of the whole 
Fraternity in maintaining and enforcing them, and he 
can, therefore, only be deprived of any of them by the 
clearest and most indisputable proof, and after being 
afforded every fair opportunity of establishing his 
innocence. 

The Penal Code of Masonry has three divisions: 
Masonic Offenses, Masonic Trials, and Masonic Pun- 
ishments ; connected with which is the subject of 
Restoration. 

MASONIC OFFENSES. 

"A Mason is obliged by his tenure, to obey the 
moral law," and this may be said to be the key to all 
the requirements for the conduct of the brethren. 

An offense against the moral law is an offense against 
Masonry; as the Institution, from the very nature of its 
constitution, is, and can only be, a system of morality. 
A Mason who indulges in the vices of profane swearing, 
habitual intoxication, or others that subject him to 
contempt, and bring shame and disgrace upon the 
Fraternity represented in his person, or who wilfully 
violates the solemn sanctions of his covenants, is a 
Masonic offender. 

Some offenses involve much less moral turpitude 
than others, and are subject to a much less penalty, 
and in such cases the disciphne of the Craft is not to be 
exercised until the offender has been admonished by 
the Master or Wardens, as provided in the ninth of the 
General Regulations. This is an important rule, in- 
tended to exhaust the influences of brotherly-love before 
resorting to sterner proceedings. 



MASONIC JUKISPKUDENOE. 307 

Some offenses are so heinous in their nature that to 
dally with them by remonstrance or admonition would 
almost be to approve them, and, in such cases, proceed- 
ings should be instituted and carried to a conclusion 
without other than the necessary legal delay. 

Violations of Masonic law, such as wilful disobedience 
of the Constitutions, or of the By-Laws of a Lodge; 
Masonic intercourse with a clandestine Lodge or Mason, 
or with a suspended or expelled brother; defrauding a 
brother Mason; embezzling the funds of a Subordinate 
or Grand Lodge; violating the unwritten Landmarks; 
refusing obedience to the lawful commands of a Masonic 
superior; wilfully neglecting or refusing to obey a 
summons, are offenses in Masonry subjecting the offen- 
der to punishment of greater or less severity, according 
to the circumstances of each case. 

Violating the law of the land is a Masonic offense, 
and in such a case, charges are to be preferred as 
though no trial had taken place before the civil tribunal, 
but aU the testimony need not be repeated. The testi- 
mony of two brethren present at the civil trial, and who 
can give the general tenor of the evidence, will ordina- 
rily be sujB&cient, and where the accused has been con- 
victed of a felony, the official record of the conviction 
will be sufficient evidence for the prosecution. 

A distinction is to be made between felonies and 
misdemeanors. The former entail personal disgTace 
and loss of character, while the latter may be the simple 
neglect of a corporation ordinance. The best of men 
may be convicted of such an offense without disgrace. 
Some misdemeanors, such as gaming, etc., are, however, 
offenses of a grave character, meriting prompt and 
severe punishment. 

Political offenses cannot be made the subject of 



308 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

Masonic discipline, because Masonry takes no cognizance 
of political differences. " So that if a brother should 
be a rebel against the State, he is not to be counte- 
nanced in his rebellion, however he may be pitied as an 
unhappy man; and, if convicted of no other crime, 
though the loyal brotherhood must and ought to disown 
his rebellion, and give no umbrage or ground of pohti- 
cal jealousy to the government for the time being, they 
cannot expel him from the Lodge, and his relation to 
it remains indefeasible."* 

Keligious differences are subject to the like rule, for 
similar reasons. 

MASONIC TRIALS. 

Trials are to be held in open Lodge. The witnesses 
may be examined in open Lodge, the Secretary reducing 
the examination to writing; or, they may be examined 
by a committee appointed for that purpose, which is 
the more desirable method of obtaining the testimony. 

The object of Masonic trials is to demonstrate the 
guilt or innocence of the accused, by the testimony of 
competent witnesses, before an unbiassed tribunal, 
where everything may be done in a regular and orderly 
manner, and impartial justice awarded. The accused 
is entitled to the presumption of innocence till proved 
guilty, and the accuser to purity of motive and sincerity 
of purpose. 

Trials occur as the result of an accusation against a 
brother for unmasonic conduct, or in order to deter- 
mine controversies between Lodges or individuals. 

The first step in a trial is the presentation of charges, 
which must be done in open Lodge, at a stated meeting, 
by a member in good standing, .(usually the Junior 
* Ancient Charges, Art ii. 






MASONIC JURISPKUDENCE. 309 

Warden.) Non-affiliated Masons and profanes are not 
competent to prefer charges. 

The charges must be in writing, fully specifying the 
offense charged, with the time and place of its com- 
mission, and must be signed by the accuser, even when 
presented by the Junior Warden. 

The charges are read in open Lodge by the Secretary, 
and the Lodge decides by vote whether the charges 
shall be accepted and the accused placed on trial. 
WTien decided in the affirmative, a time is fixed for 
taking the testimony, if it be determined that it shall 
be done in open Lodge, or a committee is appointed to 
take and report the same to the Lodge. 

The next step is the service of the charges, which is 
done by the Secretary furnishing a copy certified by the 
Lodge seal, together with a summons directing the 
accused to appear at the time fixed by the Lodge, or at 
a time and place determined upon by the committee, 
with his witnesses, for the purposes of investigation; . 

which is served personally on him, i£-i«r4eside» withih" '" '' \" 
thieLterritorial jurisliiction of the Lodge; if not, then by "' ''' ' " ^^ * 
TEtBt^, if his post-office be known ; but if he avoids service of rp ♦ '• ^. / H<f , 
process, has absconded, or his post-office be unknown, 
then it may be done by publication in the newspaper fT^^PxSc. I^fti 
published nearest the locality of the Lodge. <>/^U'^') 

The time allowed between the service of charges and "^ ^ — -^ 
the trial or taking testimony, varies according to cir- 
cumstances. If the accused resides within the terri- 
torial jurisdiction of the Lodge, ten days are generally 
deemed sufficient; however, for cause shown, a reason- 
able delay will always be granted. When the accused 
resides beyond the territorial jurisdiction of the Lodge, 
a longer time — twenty, or even thirty days — are al- 
lowed. 



310 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

When the STimmons is disobeyed, or in cases where 
publication has been made and the accused fails to ap- 
pear, the Lodge may proceed ex parte, and conduct 
the case as though he was present, or it may punish 
for contempt. 

When the charges are received by the accused, he 
should make answer to them in writing, either pleading 
not guilty or admitting a portion and denying others, 
as he may deem proper. This is done in order to save 
time, by reducing the facts requiring proof to the nar- 
rowest possible limits. 

In controversies between Lodges, and between mem- 
bers of different Lodges, the trial is sometimes had in 
or by the Lodge to which the member belongs, against 
whom charges are first made. However, in all such 
cases, as well as those against Masters of Lodges, it is 
much better that the complaint should be made to the 
Grand Master, who should select Commissioners from 
among the Masters and Wardens of neighboring 
Lodges admittedly free from all bias in the premises. 
When charges are thus preferred, the Commission 
make their report to the Grand Master, and his judg- 
ment is final, unless an appeal be made to the Grand 
Lodge, in which event, the accused remains under the 
effect of the sentence until it is legally reversed. It is 
competent to make the complaint, in such cases, directly 
to the Grand Lodge. 

At any time before the commencement of the trial, 
the accused may offer objections to the Commissioners, 
or the Committee, on the score of bias, which are to be 
considered by the appointing power. 

All the preliminaries having been adjusted, the Lodge 
meets at the time named in the summons, or the Com- 
mission or Committee meet at the time and place named 



MASONIC JUEISPKUDENCE. 311 

in the summons, and organize by appointing one o* 
their number Chairman, and a Clerk, who need not 
necessarily be a Commissioner or Committeeman. The 
accused is then admitted with his counsel, if he have 
one. A Master Mason in good standing may act as 
counsel, but not a profane. The charges and specifica- 
tions are read, and the case is then open. At this 
point, any objections to the jurisdiction of the Lodge, 
to the defective nature of the specifications, or others 
of like character, as may be thought projDer by the 
accused, may be made in writing, which will be acted 
upon by the Lodge or Commission, when the trial is 
before either of these tribunals; and, if before a Com- 
mittee, it will receive the objections, file and report 
them to the Lodge, with the testimony and other pro- 
ceedings. It is always better, however, that all such 
objections be made in the written answer of the accused 
to the charges. 

The examination of witnesses, one at a time, will now 
take place, first in behalf of the prosecution, and then 
for the defence. 

Children of tender years, unable to comprehend the 
solemnity of an obligation, persons of unsound mind. 
Atheists, persons who have been convicted of infamous 
crimes, expelled Masons, and persons interested in the 
result of the trial — that is, persons whose interests 
would be affected, either favorably or unfavorably, by 
the result, are incompetent to testify. Masons' wives 
are not allowed to give testimony on the trial of their 
husbands, except in cases of personal injury, committed 
by the husband against the wife. Lodge books and 
vouchers, and certified extracts therefrom, are com- 
petent testimony. 

Master Masons in good standing give their testimony 



312 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

under the sanction of their covenants. Others give 
their testimony upon their pledge of honor, as judicial 
oaths cannot be administered in such proceedings. 
Each party has the right to cross-examine witnesses. 

The general rules of evidence, but not all, apply in 
Masonic trials. 

No proof is competent except that which tends to 
prove or disprove the charges; nothing but the offense 
laid down in the charges is to be proved or attempted. 
This is an error into which brethren not accustomed to 
legal proceedings are most likely to be led. 

The questions asked and the answers given by the 
witnesses, are to be written down verbatim; first the 
direct, and then the cross-examination; and when the 
deposition is concluded, it should be read over to the 
witness and signed by him. 

Hearsay evidence cannot be admitted. Witnesses 
must speak fi'om their own knowledge or not at all. 

The object of a Masonic trial being to ascertain the 
exact truth in regard to the charges preferred, no mere 
technicality should be permitted to influence the decis- 
ion; if such are insisted upon, they should be noted on 
the minutes and left to the decision of the appellate 
tribunal. A Mason accused ought to depend upon an 
open rebuttal of the accusation, and not upon what are 
usually termed " legal quibbles." 

The evidence having been concluded, and when taken 
by a committee, it has, with all the proceedings, been 
reported to the Lodge; the parties concerned may com- 
ment thereon before the Lodge. This is, of course, 
optional with the parties and their counsel. 

The Lodge then proceeds to consider the question, 
"Are the charges sustained?" and if this is decided in 



MASONIC JURISPRUDENCE. 313 

the af&rmative, the Lodge proceeds by vote to fix the 
punishment. 

Before proceeding to the voting, however, the accused 
is directed to retire. 

MASONIC PUNISHMENTS. 

The Punishments inflicted for Masonic offenses, are: 
Bepeimand, Exclusion, Suspension, and Expulsion. 

Reprimand is the mildest punishment, and while it 
can only be inflicted after a regular trial, it is considered 
rather as an admonition, and as a notice of intention to 
preserve the dignity of our profession. This punishment 
should, if possible, be administered by the Master in 
person; and not only the delinquent, but the brethren 
generally, should be reminded of the sacred nature of 
our engagements, and that they cannot be violated with 
impunity. 

Exclusion is administered by the Grand Master in the 
Grand Lodge, for refusal to submit to the Kules of 
Order, contumacy to the authority of the Grand Master, 
or any other conduct not sufiiciently heinous to require 
charges and trial, but too much so to be allowed to pass 
without notice. The same may be done by the Master, 
under like circumstances, in a subordinate Lodge, or it 
may be done by vote of the Lodge. 

Suspension, is either definite or indefinite, and when 
the former, whether the period be one year or one day, 
the suspended brother is deprived of all his Masonic 
rights, except the right to resume his place in the Craft, 
when the suspension expires. Indefinite suspension, 
while the penalty operates, deprives the brother of all 
his rights and privileges as effectually as if he had never 
been initiated. A motion to remove an indefinite sus- 
pension, may be made at any stated meeting, after the 
14 



314 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

promulgation of the sentence, notice thereof having 
been given and entered on the minutes at a previous 
Btated meeting, and notice thereof having also been 
given to all the resident members. 

Expulsion is the highest penalty known, to the 
Masonic Code, and when inflicted, absolutely severs all 
connection between the brother and the Fraternity, and 
hence is called Masonic death. This penalty, when 
pronounced by a Lodge, is final and conclusive, unless 
appeal be taken, and is then conditional until affirmed 
by the Grand Lodge. The family of an expelled Mason 
is deprived of all claim upon the assistance and protec- 
tion of the Fraternity. Expulsion should not be in- 
flicted until after serious deliberation, and when it 
seems manifest that the presence of the offender will 
produce greater evil, than the good to be effected by 
his reformation, even if this be deemed possible. 

A majority of the members of the Lodge present, 
may suspend or expel, all the resident members of the 
Lodge having been notified. 

Suspension or Expulsion, when inflicted by the 
authority of Symbolic Masonry, debars the brother thus 
dealt with from all the rights of the higher Orders. 
The same penalties, however, when inflicted by the 
higher Orders, do not affect his standing in the Lodge. 

EESTORATION. 

By Restoration is meant that act of grace or pardon 
extended to a repentant offender after sentence, and it 
should not be confounded with Reinstatement, when, 
on appeal, the proceedings in the lower tribunal have 
been reversed. 

When, after trial and appeal to the Grand Lodge, 
the sentence has been confirmed, and the accused 



MASONIC JURISPRUDENCE. 315 

indefinitely suspended or expelled, the Grand Lodge 
may restore the individual to the general rights and 
privileges of Masonry, but not to membership in any 
Lodge, the reserved right of Lodges to decide v^ho 
shall and who shall not be admitted to membership, 
preventing any such action on the part of the Grand 
Lodge. But if, on appeal, the sentence shall be reversed 
for irregularity or want of proof, then the sentence goes 
for nothing, and the member continues in the standing 
he enjoyed before the charges were preferred. 

Definite suspension requires no restoration, for when 
the period of the suspension expires by its own limitation, 
the brother assumes, without any action of the Lodge, 
all the rights and privileges of which he had, for the 
time, been deprived. 

When a Lodge restores a brother indefinitely sus- 
pended or expelled, it re-admits him to membership. 

A majority of the members present at a stated meet- 
ing may restore a brother indefinitely suspended, notice 
to all the resident members having been given. 

Kestoration from expulsion requires previous pro- 
posal, notice to resident members, and a unanimous 
vote of all the members present at a stated meeting, 
because the sentence of expulsion is an absolute sever- 
ance of all connection between the individual and the 
Fraternity, which being restored by the vote, the same 
unanimity is required as upon the application of a pro- 
fane for initiation, or of a non-aflEiliated Mason for 
membership. 



316 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

THE GRAND LODGE. 

Grand Lodges, as now constituted, are of modem 
growth, engrafted on the original stock at ihe revival 
of Masonry in 1717. It is true, that the Assembly in 
the city of York, in 926, at which the Gothic Constitu- 
tions were adopted, and others held at subsequent 
periods, have been termed " Grand Lodges," but they 
were only conventions or assemblies, having no resem- 
blance to a modern Grand Lodge. 

" Previous to 1717, an annual assembly and feast was 
held, at which all the brethren who saw fit were present, 
and at which, when required, a Grand Master was 
elected; but these meetings fell into decay until, on the 
accession of George I., the Masons in London resolved 
to cement themselves under a new Grand Master, and 
to revive the communications and annual festivals of 
the Society. Accordingly, on St. John the Baptist's 
Day, 1717, in the third year of the reign of King 
George L, the assembly and feast were held, when the 
oldest Master Mason, and the Master of a Lodge, 
having taken the Chair, a list of proper candidates for 
the office of Grand Master was produced, and the 
brethren, by a great majority of hands, elected Mr. 
Anthony Sayer Grand Master of Masons for the ensuing 
year, who was forthwith invested by the oldest Master, 
installed by the Master of the oldest Lodge, and duly 
congratulated by the assembly who paid him homage."* 
This was the beginning of the Grand Lodge of England. 
At this meeting it was agreed, among other things, 
" that the privilege of assembling as Masons, which had 
hitherto been unlimited, should be vested in certain 
Lodges or assemblies of Masons, convened in certain 
places, and that every Lodge to be hereafter convened, 
* Preston. 



MASONIC JURISPKUDENCE. 317 

except the four old Lodges at this time existing, should 
be legally authorized to act by a warrant from the 
Grand Master for the time being, granted to certain 
individuals by petition, with the consent and approba- 
tion of the Grand Lodge in communication; and that, 
without such warrant, no Lodge should hereafter be 
deemed regular or constitutional." 

Li this manner a central authority or government for 
the Fraternity was established, to which was entrusted 
the superintendence of the Craft, and the making of 
laws for its observance, and the maintenance of its 
ancient Landmarks; it having been also agreed "that 
no law, rule, or regulation, to be thereafter made or 
passed in the Grand Lodge, should encroach on any 
Landmark which was at that time established as the 
standard of Masonic government." 

The Grand Lodge, thus inaugurated, underwent in a 
short time various modifications. Many new Lodges 
being formed, a general attendance of the brethren was 
found impracticable, and the present system of repre- 
sentation by the Masters and Wardens was estabhshed. 

The right to confer the three degrees was ceded to 
the Lodges, and the Grand Lodge became what it is 
now — the supreme tribunal and Legislature of the 
Craft within its jurisdiction. The first Grand Lodge 
was established by the concurrent action of the brethren 
of the four old Lodges, acting as individuals; but when 
matters had been adjusted to their satisfaction, thev 
considered their attendance for the future unnecessary, 
and, like the other Lodges, trusted to their Masters 
aud "Wardens. It is now held that no Grand Lodge 
can be established without the concuiTence of three or 
more regular Lodges, acting through their Masters and 
Wardens. 



318 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

POWEES OF A GRAND LODGE. 

A Grand Lodge is a body of Masons in whom is 
vested the government and superintendence of the 
Fraternity within its territorial jurisdiction, and is 
primarily composed of its Grand Officers and the 
Masters and Wardens, or their proxies, of the several 
subordinate Lodges under its jurisdiction. It is su- 
preme in the exercise of all powers not reserved to the 
Lodges. It cannot, however, make or pass any regula- 
tion in derogation of the Ancient Landmarks. 

The powers of a Grand Lodge are: Legislative, Ju- 
dicial, and Executive. 

Tlie Legislative powers of a Grand Lodge extend to all 
matters relating to the Craft, not reserved to the 
Lodges. In the exercise of this power, the Grand 
Lodge may enact a Constitution and Eegulations for its 
own and the government of the Fraternity it represents, 
not retroactive in their operation. It may levy a tax on 
its subordinates, for the purpose of defraying its neces- 
sary expenses. It may grant Charters or Dispensa- 
tions to new Lodges, and enact laws for their better 
regulation and convenience. It may establish a uniform 
mode of Work and Lectures, not inconsistent with the 
Ancient Landmarks. It may hear and determine all 
appeals, memorials, or petitions that may be presented 
in proper form. 

" The Legislative power of the Grand Lodge is the one 
which, from its nature and the habits of our people, is, 
in this country, most likely to be abused; nay, the one 
that is already responsible for much evil. The tendency 
to over-legislate, common to all deliberative bodies, is 
becoming more apparent every year, and conservative 
meu already foresee troubles arising in the future from 



MASONIC JUEISPEUDENCE. 319 

this source. Nor can it be doubted, tbat the original 
intention of the founders of the Grand Lodge system — 
the objects they sought to attain by yielding a portion 
of their rights — ^have been, and are constantly being, 
overstepped; that the reserved rights of the Lodges are 
being gradually encroached upon, and the powers of 
the Grand Lodge correspondingly increased. The re- 
sult may be easily divined, and will manifest itself — as 
it has already done in some instances- — in the assertion 
of a claim to sole and supreme authority in all matters 
relating to the Craft. It is the duty of the brethren at 
large to counteract this evil tendency, and maintain 
their reserved rights intact by a more careful scrutiny 
of Grand Lodge doings, and by instructing their repre- 
sentatives so that they shall, when in Grand Lodge, 
represent their constituents rather than themselves. 
There is also a minor evil growing out of excessive 
legislation, which is simply annoying to the brethren 
without producing any benefit to the Institution. "We 
refer to the mania for making laws and regulations on 
every conceivable topic, nine-tenths of which ought 
reasonably to be left to the discretion of Lodges, and 
the interference with which tends to exasperate them, 
and sets their wits at work to discover some meang by 
which the rule may be evaded." * 

The Judicial powers of a Grand Lodge, are : original 
and appellate. Original judicial power is exercised by 
the Grand Lodge in the trial of any of its officers 
for malfeasance in office, in the settlement of contro- 
versies between Lodges, or individual members of dif- 
ferent Lodges, or in the trial of the Master of a Lodge. 
It may also assume original jurisdiction by increasing the 
penalty in cases brought before it by appeal, and in the 
* Simons. 



820 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

forfeiture or revocation of the Charters of Lodges, 
after due trial. Its judicial powers are, however, most 
frequently exercised in the decision of appeals, by in- 
dividual members of the Fraternity, from the action of 
Lodges or decisions of Masters, and the decisions of the 
Grand Lodge in such cases are final and binding. 

The Executive powers of a Grand Lodge are those in 
the exercise of which it administers the laws and en- 
forces its own decisions. The executive power of a 
Grand Lodge is, in a gi'eat degree, entrusted to the 
Grand Master, and exercised by him during the recess. 

Tlie Jurisdictional rights of the Grand Lodge do not 
extend beyond the boundary of the State, except in a 
State or Territory where there may be no Grand Lodge. 

THE GRAND OFFICEES. 

The officers of the Grand Lodge consist of — 

The Grand Master, (whose style is Most Worshipful^) 
Deputy Grand Master, 
Senior Grand "Warden, 
Junior Grand Warden, 
Grand Treasurer, 
Grand Secretary, 
Grand Chaplain, 

(All of whom are styled Right Wbrshipful,y 
Senior Grand Deacon, 
Junior Grand Deacon, 
Grand Marshal, 
Grand Sword Bearer, 
Grand Steward, 
Grand Pursuivant, 
Grand Tiler, 

(Who are styled Worshipful ) 



MASONIC JURISPRUDENCE. 321 

THE GRAND MASTER. 

The office of Grand Master, with its powers and pre- 
rogatives, remain intact whatever may become of the 
individual, who, for the time being, may be their cus- 
todian, and the acts of a Grand Master survive his term of 
office, and pass to his successor to be maintained or re- 
versed as may be determined by him. This office has 
always existed. The Fraternity has always been 
governed by a chief officer styled a Grand Master. 
His office is not a creation of the Ancient Charges and 
Eegulations, nor of any modern Constitution. "While 
his prerogatives are in some things beyond any control 
but that of the Landmarks, it is not so in all, because, 
since the formation of Grand Lodges, the government 
of those bodies, and of the Fraternity under their con- 
trol, is founded on written Constitutions, which the 
Grand Master, like every other Mason under his juris- 
diction, is bound to observe and respect, and at his in- 
stallation he enters into a solemn engagement that he 
will do so, and waives to that extent his unlimited pre- 
rogatives. 

An appeal from the decision of the Grand Master, 
either while presiding in Grand Lodge, or made during 
the recess, maybe taken to and determined by the 
Grand Lodge. The Grand Lodge also has the power to 
exercise discipline over the Grand Master, and may try, 
and suspend, or expel him. Whatever may have been 
the original powers of the Grand Master, they are now 
in some things subject to the provisions of the Grand 
Lodge constitution and legislation, and the Grand 
Master accepts office upon condition that he will en- 
force the laws and execute the legislative acts of the 
Grand Lodge, and that he will discharge the duties ol 
his office under the authority thereof. 
14* 



322 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

Some of the powers belonging to the Grand Master 
are in themselves Landmarks — not subject to legisla- 
tion, — and while even these have, to a considerable ex- 
tent, yielded to the force of public opinion, the follow- 
ing are given as his prerogatives: 

1. To convene the Grand Lodge at any time he may 
deem proper. This is the same power exercised by a 
Master of a Lodge, and is subject to the same restric- 
tions, and such others as may be j)rescribed in the 
Grand Lodge constitution. 

2. To preside at all meetings of the Grand Lodge. 

3. To summon any Lodge in the jurisdiction; to pre- 
side therein, and to require an account of its doings. 

4. To grant his letters of Dispensation for the forma- 
tion of new Lodges, under such restrictions as may be 
provided in the Constitution and Regulations of the 
Grand Lodge. 

5. To constitute new Lodges and instal their officers, 
when a Charter has been issued by order of the Grand 
Lodge. 

6. To arrest the Charter of a Lodge, or to suspend 
the Master or any of the officers from the functions of 
their stations until the succeeding annual meeting of 
the Grand Lodge. 

7. The right to make Masons at sight, under the 
restrictions prescribed in the Landmarks. While this is 
an inherent prerogative, it is one which is seldom exer- 
cised, and one that will gradually cease to be practiced 
altogether by the growing force of opinion, which is 
rapidly arriving at the conclusion that there should be 
but one entrance to the fold, and that all aspirants 
should pass through it in like manner, and under simi- 
lar restrictions. 

8. The power to heal irregularly-made Masons. 



MASONIC JURISPRUDENCE. 323 

9. The right of aiDpointment of such officers as are 
not made elective by the Constitution of the Grand 
Lodge, or that may not be appointed by the action of 
the Grand Lodge. He also appoints the committees, 
and representatives near other Grand Lodges, when not 
otherwise provided. 

10. He may summon any Grand Officer before him, 
require an account of his doings, and, for cause, suspend 
him from the functions of his office. ► 

11. In case of a tie, the Grand Master gives the 
casting vote, except in the election of officers. 

From the foregoing it will be seen that the powers 
of a Grand Master are not absolute; that even those 
which are indisputably his, are seldom exercised except 
in obedience to the Begulations of the Grand Lodge, 
and that as he is the first Mason in his jurisdiction, no 
should he be the most prompt in his obedience to the 
laws which he administers. 

THE DEPUTY GKAND MASTER. 

The office of Deputy Grand Master is a creation of 
the General Kegulations of 1721, previous to which 
time there does not appear to have been such an officer. 
He is the immediate assistant of the Grand Master, and 
his lawful successor when, fi'om any cause, the Grand 
Master is unable to act. He has no powers but such as 
are specially conferred upon him by the Constitution 
and Eegulations of the Grand Lodge. 

THE GRAND WARDENS. 

The duties of a Grand "Warden are similar to those 
of a Warden of a Subordinate Lodge. They are next in 
rank and dignity to the Deputy Grand Master, and 
succeed, in order of seniority to the duties of the Grand 



324 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

Master, in the absence of the superior officers, retaining, 
however, their respective stations, unless all the superior 
officers be absent. They are entitled to the right of 
presiding in Subordinate Lodges when they are present 
in company with the Grand Master, and they form part 
of his Cabinet, or Council. 

THE GRAND TEEASUREK. 

The duties of this officer are strictly financial, and 
are very fully defined in the General Kegulations. 
He takes charge of all the property, funds and vouchers 
of the Grand Lodge, pays all orders properly drawn; is 
required to give bonds for the faithful performance of 
his duties, etc. 

THE GRAND SECRETARY. 

" This office was first created in 1723, and has grown 
in importance with the vast jDroioortions assumed by the 
Society, till now it is at once a post of distinction and a 
laborious charge upon its incumbent. Its duties are of 
such a responsible nature, that none but men of educa- 
tion and refinement should accept its honors, or be 
elected to the discharge of its duties. As the amanu- 
ensis of the Grand Lodge, the Grand Secretary is 
brought into contact with brethren from all parts of the 
globe, and should be able, by his urbanity and courtesy, 
to convey a favorable impression of the body he repre- 
sents He not only issues summons for all meetings of 
the Grand Lodge and its committees, but is bound to 
attend them, with his books, when required, in order 
that he may impart information and take a careful 
record of the proceedings, to be read for information 
at subsequent meetings, and to be preserved in the 
archives for future reference. The returns of all Sub- 
ordinate Lodges are made to him, and he is, in most 



MASONIC JURISPRUDENCE. 325 

jurisdictions, required to keep a correct registry of their 
members. He is to receive, duly file, and safely keep 
all papers and documents of the Grand Lodge; to sign 
and certify all instruments emanating from it; to receive 
and keep a proper account of all moneys of the Grand 
Lodge, and pay them over to the Grand Treasurer, and 
to report annually to his Grand Lodge a detailed 
account of his acts. In addition to his clerical duties, 
he is frequently — in this country — the Chairman of the 
Committee on Foreign Correspondence, and is charged 
with the Correspondence of the Grand Lodge, under 
direction of the Grand Master. In the important, and 
often delicate questions that are treated in this corre- 
spondence, great tact and discrimination are required, 
and the mental calibre of the officer is here put to its 
severest test. Though but Hmited discretion is given 
the Grand Secretary in recording the official transac- 
tions of the Grand Lodge, which, being presented in 
the form of written resolutions, reports, etc., he has 
little more to do than to arrange in the order of their 
presentation, he may, and ought, by a proper use of 
the material that passes through his hands, prepare 
and preserve a history of the great Masonic events of 
his day that should have the quality of correctness and 
the value of being official. 

" This office comes nearest a life-tenure of any con- 
nected with our Grand Lodges, the same brother being 
generally continued in it, by successive reelections, as 
long as he chooses to serve."* 

THE GEAND CHAPLAIN. 

This office is of modern origin, the first Grand Chap- 
lain having been appointed in 1775. It is a graceful 
* Simons. 



326 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

tribute to that religious principle which underlies the 
Institution. His duty is to conduct the religious cere- 
monies of the Grand Lodge in its usual assemblies, and 
on occasions of public ceremony. 

THE OTHER GEAND OFFICEES. 

The duties of the other Officers are such as may be 
prescribed by the usages and customs of the Fraternity, 
and the Constitution and Regulations of the Grand 
Lodge, and need not be specially enumerated. 

THE GRAND LECTURER. 

" In the earlier days of Masonry on the American 
continent, it was usual to appoint a number of brethren 
in each Grand Lodge jurisdiction, under the title of 
* Grand Visitors,* who were employed in journeying 
about the State, visiting the Lodges, examining their 
work, instructing them when required, and attending 
to such other business connected with the welfare of the 
Craft as might be confided to them by the Grand Lodge 
or Grand Master; but, with the increase of Lodges and 
Masons, the labor has been divided, the *work' being 
placed in charge of Grand Lecturers, and the other 
business in that of District Deputy Grand Masters. 
The present idea of a Grand Lecturer seems to be, that 
he shall have the quality of being able to recite the 
words of the ritual with undeviating accuracy as often 
as may be required, which point being reached, nothing 
further is looked for by the Craft, and rarely, if ever, 
offered by the Lecturer. For this state of affairs, the 
Grand Lecturers are not to be held responsible; they 
are appointed to comply with a certain demand, and 
they do it; but it is to be regretted that public senti- 
ment should have been so viciously educated, and that 



MASONIC JUEISPRUDENCE. 327 

tlie formal repetition of set phrases should have come 
to be considered of such vital importance to Masonry, 
to the exclusion, in too many instances, of higher and 
nobler themes — ^to the making of the paths that lead to 
the Temple of greater importance than all the glorious 
arcana within its precincts. Masonry is a science, and, 
as such, appeals to men of intelligence and education, 
and offers a sui-e reward to the industrious seeker after 
its hidden mysteries; but such men will not and cannot 
be hampered by the mere words in which the formulas 
of initiation shall be communicated or explained; nor 
will they consent to fritter away precious time in 
chasing the shadows of verbiage when they can be 
better employed in pursuit of solid attainments, of 
which our system offers such an abundance. We have, 
then, no hesitation in saying that we have seen with 
sincere regret the special efforts made within a few 
years to bend the energies of the Craft to the attain- 
ment of uniformity in the ritual — a chimera as unsub- 
stantial as the visions of the night; that, so far from 
producing the desired end, has but resulted in the 
estrangement of brethren, in differences among the 
workmen on different parts of the building, in the 
intrusion of crude ideas hatched in the brains of 
unlettered men — always presented, however, as the 
ancient work; in short, in making confusion worse 
confounded, and substituting the exercise of the 
lips for the legitimate work of the brain. That 
the Grand Lodge is the lawful custodian of the work, 
we freely admit, and that it should always endeavor to 
maintain the essentials of the ritual in the simple 
quaintness of the fathers, we acknowledge, but we can 
see in this no reason why a legitimate duty should be 
made the vehicle of an attempt to force all men to 



328 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

think and see alike, or to assert an equality of intellect 
where the Great Architect has refused so to make men; 
much less can it be made the apology for secret com- 
binations in behaK of particular systems, by the intro- 
duction of which it is hoped not only to make individual 
instructors always use the same identical words, but to 
reduce the general mind to a certain line, from which 
it shall never swerve to the right or left by the breadth 
of a hair. Yet we have witnessed within a few years a 
combined, systematic, and secret atempt to displace 
the authority of Grand Lodges in this particular, and 
substitute one set of words for another; and we have 
seen, too, that it has given rise to more heart-burnings, 
ill blood, and unmasonic demonstrations, than anything 
that has been sought to be fixed upon the Institution 
since its introduction into this country. And the men, 
too, who are most ardent in this work, are generally 
those who scarcely know that Masonry has a history, a 
philosophy, or a literature ; who are innocently unaware 
that the *work' which secures their admiration and 
commands their zeal, is but one of the variations that 
have been made from time to time since the days of the 
great innovator Pkeston, and those of his imitator and 
still greater innovator, Webb. The original degrees 
of Masonry have been so bui'ied under the multiplied 
additions of ritualists, for the last hundred years, that 
the Masons of the present day, choose what system they 
wiU, cannot hope to approach the simplicity of the 
original. Why, then, devote our time and attention to 
mere w^ords? Why quarrel about A, B, or C's work, 
when we know that neither of them is anything more 
than a new version of an old story, and that not one of 
them is in truth the true work practiced so recently ae 
1717? Let us rather seek to retain the essential fea- 



MASONIC JURISPBUDENCE. 329 

tures of the ritual, with less regard for the mere words 
in which our ideas may be conveyed, or at least without 
making the power of machine-like repetition the test of 
Masonic perfection. 

" From these premises the reader will easily arrive at 
the conclusion that a Grand Lecturer should be some- 
thing more than a ritualist; that he should be able to 
instruct the brethren not only in the forms and cere- 
monies of the several degrees, but in the hidden mean- 
ing of the symbols; that, having led them through the 
courts of the Temple, he should be able to put aside the 
vail that conceals the inner mysteries, and direct their 
investigations to higher and nobler themes. 

" When such are the qualifications required of Grand 
Lecturers, and they prepare themselves accordingly, a 
brighter day will dawn upon Masonry, and its disciples 
will have arrived one stage nearer the accomplishment 
of its mission." * 

• "Principles of Masonic Jurisprudence." — SncoKa 



MASONIC CALENDAR. 

Freemasons, in affixing dates to their official docu- 
ments, never make use of the common Calendar, or 
Vulgar Era, but have one peculiar to themselves, which 
varies in the different Rites. 

Masons of the York and French Bites — that is to say, 
the Masons of England, Scotland, Ireland, France, 
Germany, and America — date from the creation of the 
world, calling it " Anno Lucis," which they abbreviate 
A. L., signifying in the Year of Light. This they do, not 
because they believe Freemasonry to be coeval with the 
Creation, but with a symbolic reference to the Light of 
Masonry, dating the year 18G6 as A. L. 5866. 

In the Scotch Rite, the era also begins from the date 
of the Creation; but Masons of that Rite, using the 
Jewish chronology, would call the year 1866 A. M., or 
Anno Mundiy {in the year of the worlds) 5626. 

The Masons of the Rite of Mizraim, which is practiced 
in France, adopt the chronology of Archbishop Usher, 
and, adding four years to the usual computation of the 
age of the world, would make the year 1866 A. L. 5870. 

Royal Arch Masons commence their era with the year 
in which Zerubbabel began to build the second Temple, 
which was 530 years before Christ. Their style for the 
year 1866 is, therefore, A. Inv. ; that is. Anno Inventionis, 
or, in the year of the Discovery, 2396. 

Royal and Select Masters very often make use of the 
common Masonic date. Anno Lucis; but, properly, they 
should date from the year in which Solomon's Temple 
was completed, and their style would then be Anm* 



MASONIC CAI^NDAR. 331 

Deposit ionis, or, in the Year of the Deposit, and they 
would date the year 1866 as 2866. 

Knights Templar use the era of the organization oi 
their Order in 1118. Their style for the year 1866 is 
A. O., Anno Ordinis, or, in the Year of the Order, 748. 

For convenience of reference, the rules for discovering 
these different dates are subjoined. 

1. To find the Ancient Graft date. — Add 4000 to the 
vulgar era. Thus, 1866 and 4000, are 5866. 

2. To find the date of the Scotch Bite.— Add 8760 to the 
vulgar era. Thus, 1866 and 3760, are 5626. After 
September, add one year more. 

3. To find the date of Royal Arch Masonry. — Add 530 to 
the vulgar era. Thus, 530 and 1866 are 2396. 

4. To find the Royal and Select Masters* date. — ^Add 
1000 to the vulgar era. Thus, 1000 and 1866 are 2866. 

5. To find the Knights Templar date. — Subtract 1118 
from the vulgar era. Thus, 1118 from 1866 is 748. 

The following will show, in one view, the date of the 
year 1866, in all the branches of the Order: 

Year of the Lord, A. D. 1866— Vulgar Era. 

Year of Light, A. L. 5866 — Ancient Craft Masonry. 

Year of the World, A. M. 5626— Scotch Eite. 

Year of the Discovery, A. I. 2396 — Koyal Arch Ma- 
sonry. 

Year of Deposit, A. Dep. 2866 — Eoyal and Select 
Masters. 

Year of the Order, A O. 748 — Knights Templar. 



FREEMASOMY IN TENNESSEE. 



Previous to the 27tli December, 1813, the Lodges in 
the State of Tennessee were held under Charters from 
the Grand Lodge of North CaroHna, with the exce]3tion 
of one in Davidson county, which was held under the 
authority of the Grand Lodge of Kentucky. 

Pursuant to a resolution of Hiram Lodge, No. 7, and 
unanimously adopted by the several Lodges in the State 
of Tennessee, proposing a Convention of Ancient York 
Masons at Knoxville, on the first Monday in December, 
1811, for the purpose of establishing a Grand Lodge, 
delegates appeared from the following Lodges, viz: 
Tennessee Lodge, No. 2; Greeneville, No. 3; Newport, 
No. 4; Overton, No. 5; King Solomon, No. 6; and 
Hiram, No. 7: when the Rev. Brother Stephen Beooks, 
was appointed Chairman, and Brother John A. Rogees, 
Secretary. 

The following resolutions were then offered and 
unanimously adopted: 

Resolved, That in the opinion of this Convention, the 
number of Lodges of Ancient York Masons in this 
State, as well as the state of society, require the forma- 
tion of a Grand Lodge within the same, for the better 
regulation and extension of the Craft. 

Besolved, That in the opinion of this Convention, that 
for constituting a Grand Lodge, it will be necessary for 
the Masters, Past Masters and Wardens of the different 
Lodges, or delegates to be by the said Lodges ap- 
pointed, to meet in Convention at Knoxville, on the 



334 MASONIC TEXT-BOOK. 

second Monday in August next, for the purpose of 
forming a Constitution and By-laws for the government 
of the Grand Lodge of Tennessee, to elect officers 
thereof, and further to do whatever may be necessary 
for its operation. 

Resolvedy As the opinion of this Convention, that all 
Master Masons working under the jurisdiction of the 
Grand Lodge of North Carolina in this State, be ad- 
mitted for the purpose of giving their aid and assist- 
ance, at the time of forming a Constitution for the 
government of the Grand Lodge in the State of Ten- 
nessee, the object of which is to obtain the benefit of all 
the light that can be thrown on so important a subject, 
notwithstanding such brethren may not be entitled to 
vote on such occasions. 

Resolvedy That a committee be appointed for the pui*- 
pose of drawing up an address to the Grand Lodge of 
North Carolina, soliciting their assent to the estabhsh- 
ment of a Grand Lodge in this State; and that said 
committee draft a letter to be directed to Brother 
Robert Williams, requesting him to lay said address, 
together with the proceedings of this Convention, before 
the Grand Lodge; and in all things relative thereto, to 
give us his aid and assistance, so far as he may deem it 
correct. 

Agreeably to the foregoing resolutions, a committee 
was appointed, who reported a letter and address, which 
being read and approved, were signed by the Chairman 
and Secretary. 

The Convention then adjourned to meet on the 10th 
of August, 1812, at which time a letter was received 
from the Most Worshipful Bobert Williams, Grand 
Master of the Grand Lodge of North Carolina, in answer 
to the above-mentioned communications, which was 



FREEMASONRY IN TENNESSEE. 335 

read, and in j)ursuance of the request contained in said 
letter, it was agreed to postpone the further considera- 
tion of the estabhshment of a Grand Lodge, until after 
the next meeting of the Grand Lodge of North Carolina, 
and until such time as the Lodges of this State may- 
agree upon. 

In October, A. L. 5813, a communication was re- 
ceived from the Grand Master of North Carolina, 
directing the Lodges in this State to assemble either 
collectively or by their representatives, in the town of 
Knoxville, on the 27th December, 1813, to constitute the 
Grand Lodge of Tennessee. Delegates from Tennessee 
Lodge, No. 2; Greeneville, No. 3; Newport, No. 4; 
Overton, No. 5; King Solomon, No. 6; Hiram, No. 7; 
Cumberland, No. 8; and Western Star, No. 9, accord- 
ingly assembled at Knoxville on the day appointed. 

The Convention being duly organized, a Charter, or 
deed of relinquishment, from the Grand Lodge of North 
Carolina, bearing date the 30th September, 1813, was 
presented. By this instrument the Grand Lodge of 
North Carolina relinquished all authority and jurisdic- 
tion over the several Lodges in the State of Tennes- 
see, and assented to the erection of the Grand Lodge of 
Tennessee. 

A committee was appointed to report a Constitution 
and By-laws, for the government of the Grand Lodge, 
who retired, and after some time, reported a Constitu- 
tion and By-laws, which were read, adopted and signed 
by the members on behalf of their respective Lodges. 



MASONIC FORMULAS 



Petition for a ITo'tt' Lodge. 

To the M. W. Grand Lodge of the Ancient and Honorable Fra- 
ternity of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Tennessee. 
The undersigned petitioners, being Free and Accepted 
Master Masons, having the prosperity of the fraternity at 
heart, and willing to exert their best endeavors to promote 
and diffuse the genuine principles of Masonry, respectfully 
represent — That they are desirous of forming a new Lodge, 

to be located at , in the County of , 

and State of Tennessee, to be named Lodge, No. 

. Said location is miles from , the loca- 
tion of Lodge, No. , the nearest Lodge, and 

miles from , the location of 

Lodge, No. , the next nearest Lodge. (As at present 

situated the petitioners are practically deprived of the 
privileges of Lodge membership, because of their remoteness 
from existing Lodges, and the difficulties in attending on 
account of the condition of the roads, etc.) 

They have secured the use of a suitable building in which 
to hold tlieir meetings. 

They therefore pray for a Dispensation to empower them 
to assemble as a regular Lodge, to discharge the duties of 
Masonry in a regular and constitutional manner, according 
to the original forms of the Order, and the Regulations of the 
Grand Lodge. 

They hav^e nominated and do recommend Brother A B to 
be the fir-t Master, Brother C D to be the first Senior 
Warden, j^.d Brother E F to be the first Junior Warden of 
said Lodge. 

If the prayer of this petition shall be granted, they promise 
a strict conlormity to the Edicts of the Grand Lodge of Ten- 
nessee, and the Constitution and laws thereof. 
, Tenn., , 18—. 



MASOXIC FORMULAS. 337 



Eecommexdation. 



• Lodii-e, Xo.- 



Tenn., , 18—. 



At a stated meeting of Lodge, Xo. , held 

at its Lodge-room, in , on tlie day of , 

18 — , the foregoing petition for the formation of a new Lodge 

at , in County, was presented and 

considered, whereupon it was resolved: 

Tliat in the opinion of this Lodge good reasons exist for 
the organization of a Lodge at this dme at that place, and 
the same is hereb}' recommended by this Lodge. It is hereby 
certitied tliat said petitioners are Master Masons of good 
moral character, and the bretliren recommended as officers of 
said Lodge are capable of conferring correctly the three 
degrees of Sj'mbolic Masonry. 

Tiie proposed location of said Lodge is miles from the 

location of this Lodge. 

By order of Lodge, Xo. , 

[L.8.1 W. M. 

Attest : 
-, Secretary. 

Certlficate of Master. 

I, , "Worshipful Master of Lodge, 

Xo. , do hereby certify that I have exaii^ined Brothers 

A B, C D, and E F,' tlie Master ami Wardens recommended in 
the foregoing petition, in the work and lectures of the first 
three degrees of Masonry, and that I find that they are fully 
capable to confer the three degrees correctly. 

W, M. 

[L.S.] 

Attest : 
■ Secretary . 

Petitioners for new Tjodges should consult the Constitution 
and Edicts of the Grand Lodge, particularly Sec. 2, Art. G ot 
the Constitution, and carefuU}' conform to the requirements 
of the Grand Lodge. That portion of tlie foregoing form of 
petition included in parentheses sliould be varied according to 
circumstances. In cases submitted for t/ie action of the Grand 
Master, tlie petition sliould be addressed to him instead of the 
Grand Lodge, and tlie recommendation and certificates of the 
Masters of tlie two nearest Lodges obtained, in the form given 
above. 

15 



338 MASONIC TEXT BOOK. 

Dispensation for ITe-w Lod^. 

Sit Lux et Lux Fuit. 

To all whom it may concern: 

Know Ye, That I, , Most Worshipful Grand Master of 

the Ancient and Honorable Fraternitj' of Free and Accepted 
Masons of the State of Tennessee, havinoj received a petition 
from a constitutional number of Brethren, who have been 
properly vouched for as Master Masons in good standing, 
setting forth, that having the prosperity of the Craft at heart, 

they are desirous of establisliing a new Lodge at , 

under our Masonic jurisdiction, and requesting a Dispensa- 
tion for the same; and. 

Whereas, There appears good and sufHcient cause for 
granting the prayer of the said Petition, 1 do, therefore, 
by virtue of the power in me vested by tlie Ancient 
Constitution of the Order, grant this Dispensation, era- 
powering Brother A B to act as Worshipful Master, Brother 
C D to act as Senior AVarden, and Brother E F to act as 
Junior Warden of a Lodge to be held under our jurisdiction, 

at , in the County of , by the name of 

Lodge, No. . 

And the said Brethren and their associates are authorized 
to Enter, Pass, and Baise Free Masons, according to the 
Ancient Constitution of tlie Order, the customs and usages of 
the Craft, and the Rules and Regulations of tlie Most 
Worshipful Grand Lodge of Tennessee, and not otherwise. 

This Dispensation shall continue of force until the next 
Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge, unless revoked 
by the M. W. Grand Master, or the authority of the Grand 
Lodge. 

Given under my hand, and the Seal of 

[l.s.J the Grand Lodge, at Nashville, tliis 

day of , A. D. 18—, A. L. 58—, 

, Grand Master* 



Attest : 



Grand Secretary, 



Cliarter. 

Sit Lux et Lux Fuit. 

The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of the Ancient and 
Honorable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons of the 
Slate of Tennessee, 



MASONIC FORMULAS. 339 

The Most Worshipful , Grand Master, 

Tlie Right Worshipful , Deputy Grand Master, 

The Right Worshipful , Senior Grand Warden, 

The Right Worshipful , Junior Grand Warden, 

do, by these Presents, appoint, authorize and empower 
our worthy Brother A B to be the Worshipful Mas- 
ter; our worthy Brother C D to be the Senior Warden; 
and our worthy Brother E F to be the Junior Warden, of a 
Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, to be by virtue hereof, 

constituted, formed, and held in , County of , which 

Lodge shall be distinguished by the name and style of 

Lodge, No. ; and the s;aid Worshipful Master and 

Wardens, and their successors in office, are hereby respectively 
authorized and directed, by and with the consent and assist- 
ance of a quorum of the members of the said Lodge, duly 
summoned and present upon such occasion, to elect and install 
the officers of the said Lodge, as vacancies happen, in manner 
and form as is or may be prescribed by the Constitution and 
Regulations of this Grand Lodge. 

And further, the said Lodge is hereby invested with full 
power and authority to assemble upon proper and 
lawful occasions, to make Masons and to admit mem- 
bers, as also to do .and perform all and every such acts 
and things appertaining to the Craft, as have been and ought 
to be done, for the honor and advantage thereof, conforming 
in all their proceedings to the Constitution and Regulations 
of this Grand Lodge; otherwise, this Warrant or Charter, 
and the powers thereby granted, to cease, and be of no further 
effect. 

Given under our hands, and the Seal of 
the Grand Lodge, in the City of Nash- 

L.S.] ville, this day of , A. D. 

18—, A. L. 58—. 

Qrand Secretary, 



Fo'^er to Constitute a Lod^e. 

To all whom it mag concern: 

Whereas, The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of the An- 
cient and Honorable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons 
of the State of Tennessee, at its last Annual Communication, 
empowered by Charter, duly and regularly issued, Brothers 
A B, :Master,and C D and E F, Senior and Junior Wardens, 
and their successors, to assemble as a regular Lodge, bj-- the 

name of Lodge, Xo. , and ancient Masonic usage 

requiring that the same should be duly constituted; 



340 MASONIC TEXT BOOK. 

N"ow, therefore, I, , Grand Master of the An- 
cient and Honorable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons 
of the State of Tennessee, reposino: especial trust and confi- 
dence in the Masonic skill and ability of our AVorshipful 

Brother, , Past Master of Lodge, Xo. , 

do authorize and empower him, behig unable to attend in per- 
son, to constitute in form the Brethren named in said Charter 
into a regular Lodge, to be known and hailed by the name 
aforesaid, and to install the officers elect, agreeably to the 
ancient forms and customs of the Craft. 

Given under my hand, this day of , A. L. 58 — . 

, Grand Master, 



Dispsnsation to Elect Officers. 

To all whom it may concern: 
Whereas, I liave received information that the office of 
Lodge, No. , has become 



vacant, t)y reason of , and it is represented to 

me that it is important to the intere^^ts of Freemasonry that 
said office shall be duly tilled, to supply said vacancy; 

Now, Know Ye that I, , Grand Master of the 

Ancient and Honorable Fraternity of Free and Accepted 
Masons of the State of Tennessee, in pursuance of the power 
in me vested as Grand Master, as aforesaid, do liereby 
authorize and empower said Lodge to proceed to fill said 
vacancj', b}'' the election of some brother to serve until 

the next regular election of officers, first giving • 

days' notice of the stated meeting at which said election 
is to take place, so that the members of said Lodge may be 
duly notified thereof. 

Given under my hand, this day of , A. L. 58 — . 

, Grand Master, 



Fo'^er to Dsdicato a 2t£asonic HalL 

To all whom it may concern: 
Whereas, Lodge, No. 



has prepared and furnished a room, in which the members 
thereof desire to hold their meetings in future, and it is meet 
and proper that the same should be dedicated to Masonic uses, 
with fit and appropriate ceremonies; 

Now, Know Ye that I, , Grand Master of the 

Ancient and Honorable Fraternity of Free and Accepted 
Masons of the State of Tennessee, reposing especial trust and 



MASONIC FORMULAS. 341 

confidence in the Masonic skill and ability of our Worshipful 

Brother, , Past Master of Lodge, No. , do 

nominate and appoint him, being unable to attend in person, 
to dedicate the same, according to the ancient usages of the 
Oraft. 

Given under my hand, this day of , A. L. 58 — . 

, Grand Master, 



Application for Znitiation. 



, (Date) , 18—. 



To the Worshipful Master, Wardens and Members of — — 

Lodge, No. , Free and Accepted Masons: 

The subscriber respectfully represents that, entertaining a 
favorable opinion of your Ancient and Honorable Institution, 
he is desirous of being admitted a member thereof, if found 
worthy. He has read and approves your Ex'-'laws. He has 
not before made a similar application, and been rejected by 

any Lodge. His place of residence is ■ . His age, 

■ years. His occupation, . 

A B . 

Eecommended by 

C b , 

E F . 

If the applicant has ever been rejected, he must so state in 
the application, giving the name and location of the Lodge re* 
jectiug him, and the date thereof, as nearly as possible. 



Application for A£§.liation. 

, (Date) , 18—. 



To the Worshipful Master, Wardens and Brethren of 

Lodge, No. , Free and Accepted Masons: 

The undersigned, a Master Mason, late a member of 

Lodge, No. , under the jurisdiction of the M. AV. Grand 

Lodge of , respectfully applies for affiliation in 

your Lodge. 

A B , 

Eecommended by 

C D , 

i: F . 



342 MASONIC TEXT BOOK. 

Lod^e Certificats. 

To all Free and Accepted Masons on the Face of the GlobCy 
Greeting: 

We, the Master and Wardens of Lodge, No. , 

Free and Accepted Masons, constituted under a Charter from 
the M. W. Grand Lodge of the Ancient and Honorable Fra- 
ternity of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Tennes- 
see, do certify that our Worthy Brother, , has 

been regularly initiated an Entered Appi-entice, passed to the 
degree of Fellow Craft, and raised to the sublime degree of 
Master Mason, and is distinguished for his zeal and lidelity to 
the Craft. We do, therefore, recommend that he be received 
and acknowledged as such by all Free and Accepted Free- 
masons wheresoever dispersed. 

In testimony whereof, we have granted him this certificate, 
under our hands and the seal of the Lodge (having first caused 

our worthy Brother to sign his name in the margin), this 

day of , A. D., 18—, A. L. 58—. 

, W. 31. 

[L. s.] , S. W. 

,J. W, 

Attest : 

, Secretary. 

This is to certify that Lodge, No. , is a regu- 

larl}'' constituted Lodge, working under the jurisdiction of 
theM. W. Grand Lodge of Tennessee. 

Nashville, , A. L. 58 — . 

[l. 8.] , Grand Secretary, 



Grand. Lod^e Diploma. 

To all tohom it may concern: 

The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of the Ancient and Hon- 
orable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons of the State 
of Tennessee, by these presents doth testify and declare 

that our Brother, , who has signed his 

name in the margin hereof, is a regula r Master Mason of 

Lodge, No. — , as appears from the certificate of the said 

Lodge, held under our jurisdiction, at , in the County of 

, State of Tennessee, in the United States of America. 

In testimony whereof, We have caused the seal of said 

Grand Lodge to be hereunto affixed, and the 

[L. 8.] Grand Secretary to subscribe the same, at 

the city of Nashville, this day of , 

A. D. 18—, A. L. 58- 



-, Grand Secretary, 



MASONIC FORMULAS. 343 

Dimit. 

To all lohom it may concern: 

Lodge, Xo. — , acknowledging the jurisdiction of the 

M. W. Grand Lodge of the Ancient and Honorable Fraternity 
of Free and Accepted Masons of tlie State of Tennessee. 

Tliis certifies that Brother -, whose name appears in 

the margin liereof, is a Master Mason in this Lodge, and hav- 
ing expressed a desire to withdraw liis membership, and 
having paid all his dues to date, this Dimit is granted him by 
order of said Lodge. 
In testimony whereof, We subscribe our names hereto, 

[l. s.] and affix the seal of said Lodge, this day 

of , A. D. 18—, A. L. 58--. 

, W. M. 

Attest : 

, Secretary. 



Prozy. 

To the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of the Ancient and Honora- 
ble Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of 
Tennessee: 

Be it known that I, , W. M. of Lodge, No. — , not 

being able to attend the next Communication of the Grand 

Lodge, to be held on the day of next, do hereby 

nominate, constitute and appoint our Brother, , a mem- 
ber of said Lodge, Xo, — ,io appear at said Communication in 
my stead, and upon all subjects relative to the Craft in gen- 
eral, and to said Lodge, No. — , in particular, to act and do 
for me and said Lodge as fully and completely as if I were 
personally present. 

Given under my hand and the seal of said Lodge, this 

day of , A. D. 18—, A. L. 58—. 

[L. s.] , W. M, 

Attest : 

, Secretary. 



Crsdentials of Ilsprsssnt^tive of a Lod^e. 

To the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of the Ancient and Hon- 
orahle Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons of the State 
of Tennessee: 

Whereas, Tlie Worshipful Master and Wardens of 

Lodge, No. — , being unable to attend the next Communica- 
tion of the Grand Lodge, to be held on the dav of 



344 MASONIC TEXT BOOK. 

next, have declined to appoint proxies to represent them 
therein; 
This is to certify that, at a meeting of said Lodge, on the 

— day of , A. L. 58 — , our Brother, , a meuiber tliere- 

of, was duly elected our Kepresentative in the Grand Lodge, 
and tlien and there to do every act and thing necessary in our 
behalf, ngreeably to the Constitutions of the Order antl the 
Rule- and Regulations of the Grand Lodge, as fully and com- 
pletely as our said olticers could do if personally present. 
In testimony wueheof, \Vc have hereunto subscribed ou/ 
[l. s.] names, and alhxed the seal of said Lodge 

this day of , A. L. 58—. 

, W. M. 



Attest : 



-, Secretary. 



Form for Keeping Loi^e Minutes. 

Masonic IT all,) 

, Tenn., , A. D. 18—, A. L. 58—. J 

Stated meeting Lodge, No. 



W , Worshipful :Master. 

Brother , Senior Warden. 

Brother , Junior Warden. 

Brother , Treasurer. 

Brother , Secretary. 

Brother , Seinor Deacon. 

Brother , Junior Deacon. 

Brother , Tyler. 

(Inserting in same manner other officers, if there be any.) 

JLTe/Ji&ers— Brothers , , , . 

Visitors— Bi'oiXiQV , of Lodge, No. — , State of . 

The Lodge was opened on the first degree, in due form. 

Brother , an Entered Apprentice, was examined as to 

his proficiency in that degree. 

The Lodge was then closed, and opened on the second de- 
gree, in due form. 

Brother , a Fellow Craft, was examined as to his pro- 
ficiency in that degree. 

The Lodge was then closed, and opened on the third degree, 
in due form. 

Tiic minutes of the last stated and the intervening called 
meeting were read and approved. 

The petition of Brother for the second degree, and of 

Brother for the third degree, were presented. 



MASONIC FORMULAS. 345 

A petition for initiation from , residence, , 

age, , and occupation, , recommended by Brotliers 

and , was presented, and referred to a committee 

of investigation, consisting of Brothers , and . 

Tlie Committee of Inves'tigation upon the petition for initia- 
tion of Mr. , submitted n, favorable report. 

Ballots were had upon the following petitions : 

Brother , for the second degree, wlio was duly elected. 

Brother , for the third degree, who was dulj^ elected. 

Mr. , for initiation, who was duly elected. 

Mr. , for initiation, who was rejected. 

Brother offered the following resolution, which was 

adopted : 

Besolvedy That, etc. 

The Loilge proceeded to the consideratio.n of unfinished 
business, whereupon the motion pending for the adoption of 
the following resolution was carried : 

Eesolvedy That, etc. 

On motion, the following accounts were allowed, and the 
Treasurer ordered to pay the same : 

for , $ 

for ^, 



The Lodge was called from labor to refreshment, and 
opened on the first degree in due form. 

Mr. , who had been duly elected to receive the 

same, was prepared, introduced, and initiated an Entered 
Apprentice in due form, receiving the lectures pertaining 
thereto. 

The Lodge was then closed, and opened on the second 
degree in due form. 

Brother , who had been duly elected to receive the 

same, was prepared, introduced, and passed to the degree of 
Fellow Craft in due form, receiving the lectures pertaining 
thereto. 

The Ladge was then closed, and the Lodge called from re- 
freshment to labor on the third degree in due form. 

Brother , who had been duly elected to receive the 

same, was prepared, introduced, and raised to the sublime 
degree of Master Mason in due form, receiving the lectures 
pertaining thereto. 

Receipts. 

Brother , for first degree $— 

" , for second degree $— 

" ', for third degree $— 

« ^ for dues $- 



346 MASONIC TEXT BOOK. 

No further business appearing, the Lodge was closed in due 
form. 

■, W. M. 

, Secretary. 

The foregouig form should be varied, of course, as circum- 
stances require. E. A. and F. C.'s Lodges should not be opened 
at stated meetings, unless there is something to be done in 
those Lodges. 



Trials and Appsals. 



To the Worshipful Master, Wardens, and Brethren of 

Lodge, No. . 

Brother A B, a Master Mason and member of this Lodge, is 
hereb}^ chai-ged with immoral and unmasonic conduct. 

First Specification. Tliat the said A B, on the — day of , 

18 — , at , in the County of , was in a state of 

intoxication from the use of spirituous liquors, in violation of 
his duty as a Mason, and to the scandal and disgrace of the 
Masonic Fraternity. 

Second Specification. That the said A B, on the day of 

, 18 — , at , in the County of , and at 

various otlier times and places, in the year 18—, was intoxi- 
cated with spirituous liquors, altliough admonished therefor 
by the Master and Wardens of this Lodge, in violation of liis 
duty as a Mason, to the great scanihil and disgrace of tlie 
Fraternity; and it is herebj'^ demanded that the said A B be 
dealt with therefor, according to Masonic law and usage. 

C D . 

(Date) , IS—. 

This form must be varied according to the facts of each 
particular case. It is of great importance, and in some cases 
absohitely necessary, that the time, place, and circumstances 
constituting the ofi'ense should be given with precision and 
accuracy. This form may be used in all that class of cases 
which may be investigated by subordinate Lodges. When 
the charge is presented, which must be done in open Lodge, 
the question is upon its reception, which being agreed to, it 
then devolves upon the Lodge to determine wiiether the 
testimoi.y will be heard in open Lodge, or taken by a Special 
Committee appointed for that purpose. When this is deter- 
mined, the facts should be stated on the minutes, and it then 
becomes the duty of the Secretary immediately to serve the 
accused with a copy of the charges and specifications, accom- 
panied by a notice.' 



MASONIC FORMULAS. 347 

Notice. 
Brother A B: 
The within (or foregoing) is a copy of the charges preferred 

against 3^ou, at a meeting of Lodge, Ko. — , held 

on the day of , 18 — , and said Lodge will proceed 

to hear the testimony and act upon said charges at a meeting 

thereof, to be huld on the day of , 18—, (or a 

Special Committee, consisting of Brothers E F, G H, and I J, 
has been appointed to take the testimony. Said committee 

will meet for that purpose at , on the day of , 

18 — .) , Secretary. 

At the time appointed to take the testimony the accused, if 
he desires to do so, should appear and first file his answer to 
the charge, and then proceed to the taking of the testimony. 
The accused, either by himself or counsel (the latter must be 
a Mason), has the right to cross-examine witnesses introduced 
by the opposite party, and also, when the accuser is through 
with the testimony in support of the charges, to introduce 
witnesses in his defense, the opposite party having the right 
to cross-examine. The accused may, if he prefer, file the 
answer with the Secretary before the time fixed for taking 
testimony. 

Answer. 

A B, in person, denies the charges made against him, and 
every matter and thing contained In the several specifications 
of the same, and demands trial thereon. A B . 

The answer will vary, of course, according to the facts. 
One specification may be admitted and another denied, or all 
of them ui^Y be admitted, and matters set up in extenuation 
or excuse. Assuming that tlie answer is a denial, the next 
step, unless the witnesses are in attendance at the request of 
the parties, is to issue, at the request of both parties, process 
to secure the attendance of the witnesses. The Lodge, or 
Committee, should fix the times of meetings, and meet at 
such times as will secure a prompt investigation of the 
matter, and at the same time not require such haste as may do 
injustice to any. 

Summons for AVitness. 

To Brot:.cr : 



You are hereby summoned and required to attend as a wit- 
ness before Lodge, No. , at a meeting to be held 

at its Lodge-room, on the day of , IS — , (or bo- 
fore a Special Committee of Lodge, No. , ap 

pointed to take testimony, at a meeting to be held by said 
committee, at , on day of , IS—,) then and 



348 MASONIC TEXT BOOK. 

there to testify as to charges preferred against Brother A B, 
and this you will in no wise omit. 

, W, M. 

(Date) , IS—. 

This may be made to answer for several witnesses by in- 
serting their names, and adding the words "and each of you'* 
after the words "you." This summons can only be used, of 
course, for Masons. 0th 3rs attend, if at all, before a com- 
mittee, and at their option. 

At eacli meeting of the Lodge (or the committee) the Secre- 
tar}' of the Lodge, or the Secretarj' of the committee, and at 
its first meeting it should select a Chairman and Secretary, 
should keep accurate and full minutes of all that tran- 
spires on the trial. All motions, exceptions to the competency 
of testimony, or to the ruling of tlie Master or the committee, 
should be fully and accurately stated, and the testimony 
reduced to writing in the exact language of the witness as 
nearly as may be. 

AVIicn the testimony is closed on both sides, if taken before 
a connnittee, a report sliould be made to the Lodge b}*" the 
committee. This report should be tiled with the Secretary a 
sulUcient time in advance of a stated meeting, to enable him 
to cause to be summoned all the resident members of the 
Lodge to attend at the next stated meeting. Tiie trial may 
take place at a special meeting called by the Master for that 
purpose, but the resident members must be notified of tho 
time and place, and summoned to attend. 

Report of Committee. 

To the. Worshipful Master^ Wardens^ and Brethren of 

Lodge, No. , Free and Accepted Masons: 

The committee appointed to take testimony upon tho 
charges preferred against Brother A B by Brother C D has 
attended to the duty assigned, and submits herewith, as a 
part of this report, full minutes of the action of the com- 
mittee, as well as the testimony taken. 

(Date) , 18- 



G PI ,[ 

I J , 



Committee, 



When this report is submitted to the Lodge, or the testi- 
mony is closed, when taken before the Lodge, the parties con» 
cerned may comment thereon. This, of course, is optionaL 
Before proceeding to vote the accused should retire. 

The liOtlge then proceeds to consider the matter in the fol- 
lowing manner: 



MASONIC FORMULAS. 349 

" Are the charf^es sustained?" is the first question, and if 
decided in the artiruiative, tlie LoJge then proceeds, by vote, 
to tix the punishment. Tiiis is done by purtini^ die question: 

1st. " Sh;ill the accused be expelled?" If this is decided in 
the negative; 

2d. '' 8hall tlie accused be indefinitely suspended?" If this 
is decided in the negative; 

3d. " Shall the accused be definitely suspended?" If tliis 
Is decided in the atfinnative, then, on motion, the time should 
he fixed by vote; but if decided in the negative; 

4th- "Sliall the accused be repi-iui uiled?" Which, of 
course, the other questions having been negatived, will be 
dccitled in the aftirniative, the charges having been sustained, 
£-nd this being the lightest punishment which can be inflicted. 
It would be error for a Lo;lge to sustain the charges, and then 
refuse to inflict an}'- punishment. 

When the matter is disposed of bj'' the Lodge, the Secretary 
should at once give notice thereof to the accused. 

Notice of Judgment. 
To Brother A B: 
Take notice, that the foregoing is a copy of the action of 

Lodge, No. , upon the charges preferred against 

you by Brother C D, as the same appears of record on the 
minutes of the Lodge. , Secretary, 

Either party may, within tiiree months from the date of 
the action of the Lodge, appeal to the Grand Lodge. Notice 
of the appeal should be given within that time, and the 
appeal, giving the grounds relied upon, must be riled with the 
Secretary of the Lodge witiiin tiiirty days after notice of 
api)eal, and a copy of the notice and appeal forwarded to the 
Grand Secretary. 

Notice of Appeal. 

To , Secretary of Lodges No, , Free 

and Accepted Masons: 

Take notice, tliat I shall bring an appeal from tlie action of 
said Lodge, on the day of , IS — , in passing sen- 
tence of on me, to the M. W. Grand Lodge of the 

State of Tennessee, on the grounds to be stated in uiv appeal. 

(Date) . IS—. A B . 

Appeal. 

To the M, W. Grand Lodge of the Ancient and ITonorahJe Fra- 
ternity of Free and Accepted JIasons of the Slate of Ten- 
nessee: 
The undersigned hereby appeals to you from the decision of 



350 MASONIC TEXT BOOK. 

- Lodge, No. — , made on the day of ■ 



18—, in passing sentence of on him, and he specifies 

the following as the ground of his appeal: 



1st. That 



(Date) , 18—. A B . 

When the appeal is flled with the Secretary, the Lodge 
should cause an answer thereto to be prepared and furnished 
with the transcript. 

Answer to Appeal. 
Lodge, No. — , answers the appeal of A B, and 



«ays: 
That 



[L.S.] 



■ (Date) , 18—. 



Attest : 
— , Secretary, 



The Secretary of the Lodge, in the preparation of a tran- 
script, should be very careful to give fully and exactly all 
that transpired on the trial, giving full copies, never, unless 
.ordered by the Lodge as to some particular document used, 
sending up original papers. The transcript should be made 
in a plain legible handwriting, and fastened at top of paper, 
and the Secretary should, under the seal of the Lodge, certify 
to the correctness of the transcript. 

Certificate to Transcript. 

I, , Secretary of Lodge, No. , 

Free and Accepted Masons, do certify that the foregoing is a 
full, true, and perfect transcript of all the records and pro- 
ceedings had by and before said Lodge upon the charges pre- 
ferred by G D against A B, as the same appear upon the 
minutes of said Lodge, and on file in the arciiives thereof, 
lu TESTIMONY WHEUEOF, I hcrcto subscribc my name, and 

afiix the Seal of said Lodge, this day 

[L.8.] of , A. D. 18—, A. L. 5S— . 

, Secretary. 

Secretaries of Lodges should examine with great care the 
Edicts and Regulations of the Grand Lodge upon thesubject of 
trials and appe^ils, and should strictly conform thereto, varj--- 
ing I he foregoing forms as circumstances may require, in 
order to comply with the requirements of the Grand Lodge. 



MASONIC FORMULAS. 351 



Trials "by Commissioners. 

When charges are preferred against a Lodge, or against the 
Worshipful Master of a Lodge, and in all cases over wiiich 
the Grand Lodge has original jarisdiction, the charges should 
be addressed to the Grand Lodge or the M. W. Grand Master. 
When this is done a Commission, consisting of three or more 
Past Masters, is appointed to take tlie testimony and investi- 
g.iLe and decide upon the charges, and al>o what punishment 
shall beintlicted. The action of the Commissioners is final, 
unless an appeal be taken to the Grand Master or to the Grand 
Lod^e. When the Grand Master acts upon an appeal taken 
to him dire(;tly, an appeal lies from his action to the Grand 
Lodge, which is the ultimate authority in all such matters. 
The forms already given should be pursued in such cases, with, 
the variations required by the circumstances. 



Petition fbr Eestoration. 

To the Worshipful Master, Wardens and Brethren of 

Lodge, No, — . 

The undersigned respectfully represents that, on the 

day of , 18 — , he was, by the judgment and sentence 

of said Lodge, expelled (or indefinitely suspended) from the 
rights and j)rivileges of Masonry, and from membership in 
said Lodge. 

For the following reasons (here state them) he prays to be 
restored to the rights and j^rivileges of which he was thus 
deprived, and promises, if his prayer shall be granted, to 
conform to the legal conditions of his restoration, 

(Date) , 18—. A B . 



^idOTT's Certificate. 

^— Lodge, No. — , Free and Accepted Masons, held 

at , in County, State of . 

To all whom it may concern: 

Know j'-e, that Mrs. , whose name is written in the 

margin, in her own handwriting, is the widow of our beloved 

Brotlier , who was a Master Mason, and a member 

of this Lodge, in good standing at the time of his death. As 



352 MASONIC TEXT BOOK. 

such we commend her to the care and protection of the whole 
Fraternity. 

Given under our hands, and the Seal of 

[L.S.] the Lodge, this day of , 

A. D. 18—. 



W, 2f. 

S, W. 

• Secretary. J, W» 



This is to certify that Lodge, No. — , is a legally 

constituted Lodge, working under a (Jharter granted by tlie 
M. \V. Grand Lodge of . 



(Date) , 18—. 



[L.8.] Grand Secretary, 



INDEX. 



Part I. — Symbolic Masoiury, 

Admission of Candidates, on the 20 

Architecture, Orders of 67 

Arts and Sciences, the Seven Liberal 78 

Candidates, on the Admission of 20 

Petition for Initiation of. 21 

Questions to, before Initiation 22: 

Chaige at Opening the Lodge 14 

at Closing the Lodge 18 

to an Entered Apprentice 49 

to a Fellow-Craft 86 

to a Master Mason 110 

Closing the Lodge, Prayers at. 17 

Benediction at 20 

Degree, Entered Apprentice's 23 

FeUow-Craft's 55 

Master Mason's 88 

Past Master's 113 

Geometry, Moral Advantages of 84 

Jewels of an Entered Apprentice 41 

of a Fellow-Craft 61 

of a Master Mason 95 

Lodge, Form of a 36 

Furniture of a 38 

Jewels of a 41 

Lights of a 40 

Ornaments of a 39 

Situation of a 43 

Supports and Covering of a. 37 

to whom Dedicated. 43 

Masonry, Operative and Speculative 62 



854 INDEX. 

Opening and Closing the Lodge 11 

Charge at 14 

Prayers at 12 

Orders of Architecture 67 

Prayers at Closing of the Lodge 17 

at Opening of the Lodge 12 

Past Master's Degree 113 

Petition for Initiation, form of. 21 

Questions to Candidate, before Initiation 22 

Working Tools of an Entered Apprentice 28 

of a Fellow-Craft. 60 

of a Master Mason 93 

Part II — Ancient Ceremonies* 

Consecration of a Lodge 117 

Constitution of a Lodge 126 

Dedication of a Lodge 125 

of Masonic Halls 175 

Funeral Service 187 

in the Lodge-room 191 

at the Church or House of Deceased 197 

at the Grave 203 

Funeral Service, another 219 

Grand Visitations 185 

Installation of the officers of a Lodge 127 

of the officers of the Grand Lodge 145 

Laying Foundation Stones 163 

Processions, Regulations for 235 

Part III.— Masonic Jurisprudence. 

Ancient Charges 242 

Concerning God and Eeligion 243 

of the Civil Magistrates 243 

of Lodges 244 

of Masters, Wardens, Fellows and Apprentices 244 

of the Management of the Craft 246 

of Behavior. 247 

Ayonchment, Eules governing 301 



INDEX. 355 

Ballot, the — ^Must be taken — ^Unanimity required 269 

Members present must Vote — Must be Secret 269 

Unfavorable, cannot be reconsidered 269 

Candidates, Laws relating to 266 

must believe in a Supreme Being 268 

must reside within Jurisdiction of the Lodge 268 

must sign Petition 268 

Called Meetings of a Lodge 287 

Calendar — how to ascertain Masonic dates 330 

Constitutional Powers of a Lodge 276 

Deputy Grand Master, the 323 

Elections of Officers of a Lodge 285 

Blank Ballots are to be counted 286 

Nominations for officers not advisable. 286 

Members not bound to accept office 286 

Who are entitled to vote at 286 

Entered Apprentices are not Members — Eights of 298 

Exclusion, by whom enforced 313 

Executive Powers of a Lodge 274 

of the Grand Lodge 320 

Expulsion is Masonic Death 314 

Fellow-Crafts, Disabilities of 299 

Floor Members of a Lodge 298 

Freemasonry in Tennessee, History of 333 

General Kegulations — XXXIX Articles 251 

Grand Lodge, the 316 

Powers of the 318 

Officers of the 320 

Grand Master, the 321 

may be appealed from to Grand Lodge 321 

may be tried for Offenses 321 

Prerogatives of a 322 

Grand Wardens, their duties 323 

Grand Treasurer, his duties 324 

Grand Secretary, importance of the Office 324 

Grand Chaplain, when first appointed 325 

Grand Lecturer, remarks upon the duties of 326 

History of Freemasonry in Tennessee 333 



356 INDEX. 

Inherent Powers of a Lodge 275 

Installation of Oflficers of a Lodge 287 

Judicial Powers of a Lodge 274 

of the Grand Lodge 319 

Jurisdiction of Lodges 276 

Landmarks of Freemasonry enumerated 241 

Laws relating to Candidates — Qualifications 266 

Legislative Powers of the Grand Lodge 318 

Lodge, the 270 

under Dispensation 271 

Chartered 273 

Powers of a Chartered 273 

Legislative Powers of a 274 

Jurisdiction of a 276 

Officers of a 277 

Meetings of— CaUed and Stated 287 

Masonic Law — Introduction 239 

Masonic Calendar, how to ascertain dates 330 

Masonic Offenses 306 

Master of a Lodge, the 277 

cannot dimit or resign 283 

has the right to Install his successor 287 

Prerogatives of the 281 

Masonic Punishments 313 

Masonic Trials, mode of procedure in 308 

Master Masons — right of Membership 299 

Right of, to Visit, and of Avouchment 300 

to be tried by his Peers, and to Appeal 303 

Eight to Eelief, and withdraw from Membership .... 304 
entitled to Burial with Funeral Ceremonies 305 

Non-afi&liated Masons, their disabilities 305 

Officers of a Lodge 277 

Elections of 285 

must be Installed 285 

Officers of the Grand Lodge 320 

Offenses, what constitutes Iklasonic 307 

Past Masters, privileges ot 283 

Penid Code. . 306 



INDEX. 357 

Powers of a Lodge — Executive — Legislative — Judicial 274 

Inherent and Constitutional 275 

Penal 277 

Territorial 276 

Powers of the Grand Lodge — Legislative 313 

Judicial 319 

Executive 320 

Prerogatives of the Master of a Lodge 281 

has the right to call his Lodge at will 281 

to Preside, and to fill all Vacancies 281 

to control admission of Visitors 281 

to regulate and terminate Discussions 281 

to direct Order of Business 282 

to appoint Committees 282 

to close the Lodge at mil 282 

to issue Summons 282 

to be the custodian of the Charter 282 

to represent his Lodge in Grand Lodge. 283 

Prerogatives of the Grand Master. 322 

to convene the Grand Lodge 322 

to summon Subordinate Lodges 322 

to grant Dispensations for new Lodges 322 

to Constitute new Lodges, and Install Officers 322 

to arrest Charters of Subordinate Lodges 322 

to make Masons at sight 322 

to heal irregularly-made Masons 322 

to appoint Officers and Committees 323 

to give casting Vote in case of a tie 323 

to summon Grand Officers before him 323 

Qualifications of Candidates 266 

Restoration 314 

from Expulsion, requires notice 315 

unanimity required in cases of Expulsion 315 

Reprimand, by whom administered. 313 

Eules of Order 292 

Stated Meetings of a Lodge 288 

Suspension — Definite and Indefinite 313 

Territorial Jurisdiction of a Lodge 276 

lliirty-nine Articles, the General Kegulations 251 



358 INDEX. 

Trials — to be held in open Lodge 808 

Committee to take Testimony 308 

Presentation of Charges 308 

Charges to be in writing. 309 

Service of Charges 309 

Controversies between Lodges 310 

Licompetent Witnesses 311 

Who may act as CounseL 311 

Testimony of Witnesses to be in writing 312 

Hearsay Evidence not admissible 312 

Wardens of a Lodge, the 284 

to superintend the Craft 284 

cannot resign 284 

to Preside in absence of Master 284 

Masonic Formulas. 

Petition for a New Lodge 336 

Recommendation 337 

Certificate of Master 337 

Dispensation for New Lodge 338 

Charter 338 

Power to Constitute a Lodge 339 

Dispensation to Elect Officers 340 

Power to Dedicate a Masonic Hall 340 

Application for Initiation 341 

Application for Affiliation 341 

Lodge Certificate 342 

Grand Lodge Diploma 342 

Dimit 343 

Proxy 343 

Credentials of Representative to Grand Lodge 343 

Form for Keeping Lodge Minutes 344 

Receipts 345 

Trials and Appeals 346 

Charge 346 

Notice 347 

Answer 347 

Summons for Witness 347 

Report of Committee 348 

Notice of Judgment 349 



INDEX. 359 

Trials and Appeals — Continued — 

Notice of Appeal 349 

Appeal 349 

Certificate to Transcript 350 

Trials by Commissioners 351 

Petition for Restoration 351 

Widow's Certificate 351 



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